Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheeshan on Tuesday convened an emergency meeting after a landslide struck the Wayanad-Kalladi tunnel construction site, directing Wayanad Minister T Siddique to coordinate rescue and relief operations.

The Chief Minister also asked Revenue Minister AP Anil Kumar and Agriculture Minister T Siddique to proceed to Wayanad immediately and supervise the response on the ground.

According to the Keralam State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), five people were injured when debris from the tunnel construction site came crashing down following heavy rainfall. The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital, and officials confirmed that no fatalities have been reported.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) unit based in Meenangadi was rushed to the accident site, while another NDRF team from Kozhikode has also been deployed to assist in the rescue efforts.

Satheeshan also spoke to the Wayanad District Collector over the phone to review the situation and monitor the ongoing rescue operations.

Red alert in Wayanad

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert in Wayanad & Kozhikode on Tuesday, forecasting extremely heavy rainfall in the districts of Keralam, while Kannur and Kasaragod are likely to receive isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall.

According to the IMD's district rainfall forecast, Malappuram is also expected to witness isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall, while Idukki, Thrissur and Palakkad are likely to receive isolated heavy rainfall during the day.

The weather office said rainfall is very likely across all districts of Keralam over the next five days. However, the intensity is expected to gradually reduce from July 10, with most districts forecast to receive light to moderate rainfall through July 11.