A landslide triggered by relentless heavy rainfall struck Kerala's Wayanad district overnight, killing at least two people, seven others missing and seven injured, and led to the launch of a giant rescue operation involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Fire and Rescue Services, police and local residents to tackle the disaster.
The landslide occurred near Meenakshi Bridge at Kalladi near the ongoing Anakkompoyil–Meppadi tunnel road project connecting Malappuram and Wayanad districts. Construction workers were at the site when a large section of the hillside gave way, burying workers, machinery and vehicles under tonnes of mud and debris.
Rescue work started immediately after the accident as local residents put out a fire relief effort and helped pull trapped workers to safety. Seven people sustained serious injuries and are being treated at hospitals where the workers are now in the hospital of the area. Seven people have been seriously injured and are in hospitals, and seven people are believed to be trapped under the debris, and search operations continue despite the weather conditions.
Kerala Revenue Minister A.P. Anil Kumar confirmed that rescue efforts had been launched on a war footing. He said a team of 30 NDRF personnel arrived at the spot on a war footing soon after the incident and more rescue teams arrived later. More than 60 NDRF personnel from Wayanad and Kozhikode are now in the midst of the operation along with the state disaster response teams.
According to the officials, the affected region received nearly 265 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, which meant that soil conditions were saturated, hence the landslide. Drivers of vehicles used to transport workers in the tunnel construction project were also injured in the collapse.
Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan convened an emergency meeting with senior officials and State Minister T. Siddique right away after the disaster. The Chief Minister instructed all the departments to speed up rescue and relief works and asked Ministers Siddique and Anil Kumar to go to Wayanad to oversee the ongoing works.
The Chief Minister also said the contractor executing the tunnel project had failed to comply with a June 20 directive issued by the District Collector and the District Disaster Management Authority to remove soil from the construction site due to safety concerns.
Meanwhile, Minister T. Siddique termed the tragedy a “man-made landslide,” alleging negligence on the part of the executing agency. He claimed that authorities had previously warned Konkan Railways, the company involved in the project, about the possibility of a landslide in the area but that no preventive measures were taken.
"It is not a natural landslide but a man-made one. This is a clear case of lapse," Siddique said, adding that such negligence was unacceptable, especially when the devastating 2024 Mundakkai landslide took 298 lives in Wayanad.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also issued a Red Alert for Wayanad and neighbouring Kozhikode district warning of extremely heavy rainfall. Orange alerts have also been issued for Malappuram, Kannur and Kasaragod districts. Heavy rain could increase the risk of further landslides in vulnerable hilly areas, weather officials have said.
Wayanad is one of Kerala’s most landslide-prone districts due to its location in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats. There have been many devastating landslides in the district over the years, and the 2024 Wayanad disaster is still one of the deadliest natural disasters in the state’s history.
The rescue teams are racing to find the missing because rain and unstable terrain are preventing progress in the search for the missing. Residents have been told to stay alert and follow advisories as emergency teams continue to search for survivors in the area.
