Wayanad Landslide: Kerala CM Orders Coordinated Rescue, Workers Feared Trapped

In the wake of the landslide at the Kalladi tunnel project site in Wayanad, Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Tuesday held an urgent meeting with ministers from the district and directed that rescue and relief operations be coordinated on a war footing, officials said.

In a statement, the Chief Minister's Office said Satheesan directed Ministers A P Anil Kumar and T Siddique to proceed to Wayanad and oversee the rescue and relief operations.

Meanwhile, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) said debris from an excavation at the Kalladi tunnel work site slid down and blocked nearby roads.

According to the KSDMA, five people were hit by the debris and admitted to the hospital.

No fatalities have been reported so far, officials said.

Residents said that large earth-moving machines will be required to remove the soil and start the search operation.

The authority said that the work on the tunnel project had been suspended since Monday.

The people injured in the incident were moving around the work site when the debris slid down, KSDMA officials said.

The KSDMA also said the area received 265 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours.

Work on the Anakkompoyil-Meppadi tunnel project, connecting Kozhikode and Wayanad districts, began last year.

Fire and Rescue Services officials said some workers at the project site were feared trapped under the debris. Search and rescue operations are underway.

A statement by the District Administration said that the NDRF team stationed at Meenangadi has been directed to immediately reach the landslide site, while another team from Kozhikode has also been asked to proceed to Wayanad to assist in the rescue operations.