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One person died and seven went missing in a landslip that occurred at the Wayanad twin-tunnel project construction site near the Meenakshi Bridge in Kalladi of Meppadi panchayat on Tuesday, July 7. The landslip was reportedly triggered by continuous heavy rainfall. Reports indicate that the soil removed for the tunnel construction was piled on one side of the site. It was washed downhill by floodwaters, causing the landslip.
Seven construction workers have been rescued from the debris and hospitalised after local residents initiated the rescue operation. Fire and Rescue officials, along with local residents, are actively conducting search operations.
Two teams comprising a total of 60 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel from Wayanad and Kozhikode have been directed to the site. The District Collector is present at the site.
The construction site is not in a residential area, thereby reducing the chances of more people being caught under the debris. However, there are concerns that more workers may be trapped, as it is a worksite with labourers present. It is also unclear whether vehicles travelling on the road were caught in the landslip.
Speaking to the media, Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan said the project contractor failed to follow the instructions from both the district collector and the Public Works Department (PWD) minister regarding the timely removal of the piled-up mud. “The Wayanad district collector issued an order on June 20, instructing the removal of the mud. Additionally, the PWD minister convened a meeting where he instructed the need for immediate action to clear it,” he stated.
Speaking to the media, Agriculture Minister T Siddique said, the conditions of those admitted to the hospital are stable.
According to him, the disaster is “man-made”. “The District Collector had written to the Konkan Railways that there is a chance for landslip at the site. Konkan Railways was directed to take necessary action about this earlier, but no action was taken by them. Such things cannot be tolerated because two years ago, 298 people lost their lives in a landslide at Mundakkai,” he added.
The twin tunnel project is being executed by Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd, with construction works carried out by Dilip Buildcon.
The 8.75 km long proposed Wayanad twin tunnel project connects Anakkampoyil in Kozhikode district to Meppadi in Wayanad. The tunnels are expected to reduce travel time between Kozhikode and Wayanad by approximately 45–60 minutes, while also shortening the distance between Anakkampoyil and Meppadi from 42 km to less than 20 km.
Last year the state government made an allocation of Rs 2134.5 crore for the project.
