Wayanad landslide: Rescue operations enter second day after Kalladi mudslide kills three; IMD issues yellow alert for district

Wayanad (Keralam) [India], July 8 (ANI): Rescue operations entered the second day on Wednesday after a landslide at the Kalladi tunnel construction site in Keralam's Wayanad district claimed three lives, while five people are feared missing, even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for Wayanad, forecasting heavy rainfall in the district.
The landslide struck at around 11:15 am on Tuesday within a 200-metre radius of the tunnel construction site at Kalladi in Meppadi Grama Panchayat, burying large portions of the worksite under debris estimated to be 7 to 10 feet deep.
According to the IMD, Wayanad is among the districts placed under a yellow alert on Wednesday, with heavy rainfall of 7 cm to 11 cm in 24 hours likely at isolated places. The weather agency has also forecast widespread rain and thundershowers across Kerala on July 8 and warned that strong surface winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph are likely to prevail across the state until July 9.
Rescue operations are being carried out by multiple agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Kerala Police, Fire and Rescue Services, Civil Defence personnel and the district administration. Authorities have divided the affected area into four operational zones to expedite the search for those trapped beneath the debris.
Officials said the first day's rescue operation involved 65 NDRF personnel, 100 police personnel, 158 Fire and Rescue Services and Civil Defence personnel, 52 workers from the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS), besides volunteers and local residents.
Two sniffer dogs and two cadaver dogs have also been deployed to assist search teams.
Authorities said a bus used to transport workers to the project site remains buried beneath the debris. However, officials confirmed that no workers were inside the vehicle when the landslide occurred. A house and a mosque near Meenakshi Bridge also sustained damage in the incident.
Kannur Range DIG Karthick K said police have registered a case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), while rescue operations remain focused on locating those trapped beneath the debris.
"We have registered a case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The inquest, post-mortem examinations, and identification of the bodies are being carried out, and the investigation is underway. At the same time, rescue operations are continuing," he told ANI.
"Our first priority is to locate the people who are still missing. At this stage, we do not know whether they are alive or not, so the immediate focus is to clear the debris and reach those trapped underneath. There are also people living beyond the affected area, and the road needs to be cleared to restore their access," he added.
Officials identified the deceased as Chandra Ban, an operator from Madhya Pradesh; Bikash Kumar, a civil foreman from Bihar; and Anmol, a worker from Jharkhand.
Among those reported missing are Construction Manager Vikram Rana and Engineer Rahul, both from Himachal Pradesh; Mohammed Imran, an excavator operator from Bihar; Surveyor Rakesh Guchait from West Bengal; and Surveyor Azharuddin Ansari from Uttar Pradesh. Authorities said additional persons are also feared missing.
A total of 76 people from 23 affected families have been shifted to a relief camp at Government Polytechnic College, Meppadi, while others have taken shelter with relatives. Food, drinking water, medicines and other essential supplies have been arranged at the camp.
Of the injured, three people have been discharged after their condition improved, while five others continue to undergo treatment, officials said.
Authorities have imposed strict restrictions on the movement of people, volunteers and private vehicles within the disaster zone to ensure unhindered rescue operations. Traffic restrictions remain in force at Meppadi Town, Boche Estate and within a 500-metre radius of the accident site.
A district-level control room has also been opened to coordinate emergency response and disseminate information related to the Kalladi mudslide as rescue and relief operations continue.
Meanwhile, Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Tuesday said the collapse at the Wayanad tunnel construction site was an "unfortunate disaster" and alleged that contractors had failed to comply with repeated directions from the authorities to remove excavated soil, even after warnings from the District Disaster Management Authority. (ANI)