WAYANAD: A major landslide struck the twin-district tunnel road work site in the Kalladi area of Kerala’s Wayanad district on Tuesday. According to officials several people might be trapped under the massive debris.

The disaster occurred near the Meenakshi Bridge, where construction work for the underground tunnel project—intended to link the districts of Wayanad and Malappuram—is currently underway. Following the landslide, personnel from the Kalpetta Fire and Rescue Services (KFRS) rushed to the spot. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), state police, and fire services are currently conducting extensive search and rescue operations.

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According to administrative officials, three individuals have been successfully evacuated so far from the makeshift accommodation where the tunnel project workers were staying. However, since there are a few residential houses and tourist homestays located in the impacted zone, the threat remains high. Wayanad District Collector along with Minister T. Siddique are directly monitoring the rescue operations on-site to verify if any more individuals are trapped under the mud.

Notably, this incident comes exactly two years after the devastating July 2024 Wayanad landslides. The twin villages of Chooralmala and Mundakkai in Meppadi were wiped out back then by multiple landslides, resulting in over 400 deaths and leaving scores missing, marking it as one of the deadliest disasters in Kerala’s history.

GangolliNews