Meppadi landslide at tunnel site leaves 3 dead; NDRF joins rescue

Kalpetta (Kerala): Wayanad faces tragedy once again as the death toll from a massive landslide near the Wayanad–Meppadi twin-tunnel road project claimed 3 lives and left 7 injured. Triggered by torrential rains, the landslide occurred near the Meenakshi Bridge, completely destroying a concrete retaining wall built for the tunnel route.

Emergency teams have successfully rescued nine people and shifted them to nearby hospitals for treatment. Concurrently, an intense search operation is underway to locate five individuals who remain missing and are feared trapped beneath the heavy debris. The search is primarily focused on workers employed at the tunnel construction site.

To accelerate the clearing of thick mud and debris, two teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have arrived at the spot and joined the operations. Amidst the rescue efforts, the Meppadi Sub-Inspector (SI) sustained injuries and has been hospitalised.

Red alert issued; educational institutions closed on Wednesday

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of further heavy spells, maintaining a red alert for Wayanad on Tuesday and issuing an Orange Alert for Wednesday. In light of the severe weather, the District Collector has declared a holiday on Wednesday for all educational institutions in the district, including professional colleges. State Ministers T Siddique and Anil Kumar are also travelling to the district to oversee the situation.

Warnings ignored; political leaders allege negligence

Meanwhile, official documents have surfaced showing that a high-level inspection team had previously warned of a potential disaster if the massive mounds of excavated soil at the site were not cleared immediately.

The political leadership has reacted strongly to the lapse. Chief Minister V D Satheesan stated that the contracting company committed a serious lapse. Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and Minister T Siddique terms the incident a "man-made disaste”. While the Opposition has extended full cooperation to the government's current relief measures, Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan has demanded a thorough investigation into the alleged negligence.