The toll of five dead and many missing in Kerala landslide after five men were found dead has been raised to five and rescue teams are still struggling to search for three trapped men. It happened at a tunnel construction site near Kalladi in Meppadi panchayat when heavy monsoon rains triggered a massive landslide, burying workers and damaging parts of the project site.
The landslide occurred after days of relentless rainfall battered the hilly district. It inundated the soil and raised the possibility of slope problems. A large amount of soil that was excavated near the construction site was washed off in the heavy rain and so landslip occurred, according to officials. The incident is now being investigated and any possible safety issues or lax behaviour is being investigated.
Emergency response teams, including National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Kerala Fire and Rescue Services, police and sniffer dogs working round-the-clock are working on the ground in the face of difficult weather conditions. With heavy rainfall, unstable terrain and thick mud, it is difficult for workers and heavy equipment to enter the affected areas safely, and all of the rescue efforts have been hampered by continuous rain.
Officials said there were several workers at the construction site at the time the landslide struck. Many workers were rescued and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment but rescue teams are still searching for those missing, they said. Search teams have divided the affected area into multiple search zones and are also looking for any debris that could be transported by floodwater downstream.
The Kerala government has offered condolences to families of those who have been killed and has assured that all kinds of assistance have been brought in to speed up rescue efforts. Senior officials are closely monitoring the situation and district authorities are working closely with different emergency teams that have been deployed to the site.
The incident has also raised questions about construction practices in ecologically sensitive areas. State leaders have raised concerns about the dumping of excavated soil near the tunnel project and whether proper precautions were taken despite repeated spells of heavy rainfall. The contractor involved in the project has denied responsibility, saying that the landslide originated from higher terrain rather than the construction area itself.
The latest disaster has revived painful memories of the catastrophic landslides that devastated Wayanad during the 2024 monsoon season. The district's rough terrain and intense rainfall and developmental activities make it susceptible to landslides during monsoon months, experts have warned for years. Sustainable construction practices, slope control and strict environmental safeguards remain crucial to environmental protection in the Western Ghats.
The IMD has forecast continuous rainfall in some parts of Kerala over the next few days; hence, Kerala is on high alert. Residents living in landslide prone and low-lying areas are advised to remain vigilant, avoid unnecessary travel during heavy rain and follow evacuation instructions if local government orders if any.
Disaster management officials also urged tourists to postpone visits to dangerous hill areas of the region until weather conditions improve. Rescue workers are still searching through unstable debris and trying to ensure their safety as they help the rescue teams to save the people during this period of heavy rain.
The search is in its third phase now as families of the missing wait anxiously for news in a series of updates. With all available resources, searchers will keep going until all missing people are found and brought back.
