At least three people were killed while another five are missing after a major landslide struck a tunnel road project site at Kalladi near Meppady in Kerala's Wayanad district on Tuesday.
The incident occurred near Meenakshi Bridge, where work on the Anakkompoyil-Meppadi tunnel project connecting Malappuram and Wayanad districts is underway.
In a statement, the district administration said a total of 18 persons were affected by the disaster. Of them, three were killed, 10 are undergoing treatment at Meppadi WIMS Hospital, and the search is on for five others who are still missing.
Officials said those living in nearby areas were being evacuated.
A senior government official told reporters that there were no workers at the site and that those feared trapped under the mud were engineers and security staff.
"If work had been going on there, it would have been a bigger tragedy," she said.
A private bus reportedly used to ferry workers, which was parked at the site, was pushed into the nearby river by the landslide and was lying half-submerged as water flowed through it.
Sniffer dogs of the state police have been deployed at the site to trace those trapped under the thick mud, the statement said.
It also said facilities had been made available at the Mundakkai Forest Station and the Chooralmala church hall to shift locals, including members of tribal communities, stranded on both sides of the bridge.
Speaking to the media, Chief Minister V D Satheesan said the disaster was caused by the negligence of the contractors who failed to remove the huge quantity of mud accumulated near the construction site, despite warnings from the district administration and the Public Works Department.
Responding to a question from reporters, Satheesan said that the non-issuance of an appropriate weather alert was not the reason for the landslide.
"The soil there is mixed with mud and has got a different texture. The scrap soil was kept there and that was not stable. The disaster management authority had examined the area and told the contractors to remove it. Failure to remove soil from the place caused this mishap,” he said.
Meanwhile, the contractor executing the road tunnel project attributed the landslide to exceptionally heavy monsoon rainfall, saying the work was being carried out in compliance with all prescribed engineering, safety and environmental protocols.
In a statement, Dilip Buildcon Ltd expressed sorrow over the incident and said its immediate priority was to support rescue operations and cooperate with the district administration and emergency agencies.
Citing data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), the company said Wayanad received around 265 mm of rainfall in the preceding 24 hours—among the highest recorded in the district this monsoon season.
It also said the project, located in an ecologically sensitive region, was being executed under multiple regulatory oversight mechanisms, including supervision by the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee, and that excavated material was being handled as per the approved methodology.
"The room for technical error remains very limited. We remain fully committed to cooperating with the investigation and will continue to share verified information as it becomes available. Our focus remains on supporting the rescue efforts and standing with the affected families during this difficult time," the company said.
Earlier in the day, Kerala ministers termed the landslide a "man-made disaster", alleging that the company had failed to remove excavated earth despite directions from the district administration. The company's statement did not specifically address the allegation.
The CM reviewed the rescue operations with officials of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) at their office.
"It is an unfortunate incident. Rescue efforts are going on," he said.
Minister AP Anil Kumar and T Siddique have been sent to the disaster-hit place to coordinate rescue activities.
Forces from Wayanad are engaged in rescue activities, and more forces are on the way from Kozhikode and other places, the CM added.
He said that necessary rescue forces are reaching the area and the police as well as fire and rescue personnel were already deployed at the site.
Additionally, a defence force was ready at Thrissur for being deployed at the site if required, he said.
All the necessary systems for search and rescue will be in place as soon as possible, he assured.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the landslide site, North Zone DIG K Karthick said the deceased and the injured had been engaged in work at the construction site.
"One of the injured is a police sub-inspector who reached the spot for rescue operations. Apart from that, a woman resident of the area is also among the injured," he said.
Karthick said rescue teams were also trying to clear the road buried under the debris, as several people remained stranded on the other side of the landslide.
Earth-moving machinery was being used to remove the debris to ascertain whether anyone was trapped beneath it, and rescue operations would continue through the night, he said.
The IMD issued a red alert in the district on Tuesday, as very heavy rainfall was recorded in the Mananthavady and Vythiri areas during the day.
The alert was issued at 12.30 pm, after the landslide at the Kalladi tunnel project site in Wayanad at around 11 am.
The Anakkompoyil-Meppadi tunnel project, which aims to improve connectivity between Malappuram and Wayanad districts, commenced last year.
The incident comes nearly two years after the devastating landslides that struck Wayanad in July 2024, when torrential rain triggered multiple slope failures in the Meppadi region, killing more than 400 people, leaving scores missing and causing widespread destruction in villages such as Chooralmala and Mundakkai.
The disaster was among the deadliest landslides in Kerala's history.
Congress MP from Wayanad Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and LoP Rahul Gandhi expressed grief over the tragedy and assured all possible support to the affected families.
She said Chief Minister V D Satheesan was monitoring the relief operations, with ministers T Siddique and A P Anil Kumar, district officials, the police, NDRF, State Disaster Response Force and civil defence volunteers coordinating rescue efforts.
"My deepest condolences to those who have lost precious family members... We will be by your side through this terrible time and give you every support possible," she said, while urging Congress workers and the public to assist without hampering rescue operations.
Rahul Gandhi also expressed condolences and appealed to Congress and UDF workers to extend all possible assistance.
"Wayanad has shown remarkable resilience in the face of adversity before, and together, we will stand by every affected family through this tragedy," he said.
Meanwhile, the district administration declared a holiday for all educational institutions in Wayanad on July 8 following an IMD red alert. The landslide occurred near Meenakshi Bridge at Kalladi, where a tunnel road project linking Kozhikode and Wayanad was under construction.
(With inputs from PTI)
