Kalladi drowned in tears: Sudden landslide leaves three dead, five missing

KALPETTA: Three people were killed in a massive landslide triggered by heavy rain near the Anakkampoyil-Kalladi tunnel road project, just three kilometres from Chooralmala in Wayanad. The deceased have been identified as Anmol Dodrai from Jharkhand, Bikash Kumar Singh from Bihar, and Chandrabhan Pal from Madhya Pradesh. Their post-mortem examinations have been completed. Five people, including an engineer working at the tunnel construction project's office, are still missing. Rescue teams are continuing search operations with the help of cadaver dogs.

Nine people who were trapped in the mud were rescued and admitted to a private medical college hospital in Meppadi with injuries. The injured have been identified as Hira Kumar (32), Dileep Kumar (19), Sooraj Yadav (25), Sanjay Thakur (35), Rajneesh (27), Tanmay Ghosh (28), Koopamal (Jaya) (37), Kunju (39), and Santosh Kumar. Among them, Dileep Kumar and Rajneesh are said to be in critical condition. Officials said the loss of life could have been much higher if construction work had been taking place on the day of the incident. Ministers A.P. Anil Kumar and T. Siddique reached the site and are coordinating the rescue and relief operations.

The landslide occurred at around 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday. A large mound of excavated soil and a nearby concrete section at the tunnel construction site gave way, sending huge volumes of mud and rocks downhill. The debris crossed the Meenakshi Bridge and the nearby river, sweeping through the area. Some people managed to escape after noticing the floodwaters approaching the bridge. However, officials said some people who were washed away have not yet been identified.

A water tanker belonging to Dileep Buildcon Limited, which was clearing mud from the road, was dragged nearly 400 metres by the force of the landslide. Several people were injured after being struck or trapped by the moving vehicle. The tanker finally came to a halt after crashing into a jeep parked on the other side of the bridge. A bus that had been parked to transport workers was also swept away. A mosque, a house, and a bus waiting shelter were damaged in the disaster.

Heavy rain and red alert

Heavy rainfall that began on Monday continued until early Tuesday morning. Wayanad recorded 255 mm of rainfall on Tuesday, classified as extremely heavy rainfall. A red alert was issued at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday. According to officials, the District Collector had directed the contractor on August 2 to remove the large mound of excavated soil at the construction site. However, the contractor allegedly failed to comply with the order. The Meppadi Police have registered a case in connection with the incident.

People stranded on both sides of the bridge were safely shifted to the Mundakkai Forest Station and the Chooralmala Mosque Hall. Authorities also declared a holiday for educational institutions in Wayanad and Kozhikode districts due to the severe weather conditions.