Published Jul 08, 2026 | 11:23 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 08, 2026 | 11:23 PM
Search operation in progress at the incident site at Kalladi, Wayanad on Wednesday
Synopsis: As the search operation entered the third day after the debris flow at the Kalladi tunnel project site, rescue teams continued a massive multi-agency operation to trace five missing workers. The state government has announced ₹5 lakh each as compensation for the families of the three victims, ordered a probe into the disaster, and expanded relief measures amid a red alert for extremely heavy rain. With hundreds of rescue personnel battling unstable terrain and worsening weather, the operation has shifted to a critical phase as authorities race against time to find the missing while safeguarding vulnerable communities.
The Kerala government on Wednesday, 8 July, announced a solatium of ₹5 lakh each for the families of the three workers killed in the Kalladi tunnel project landslide, even as an intensive multi-agency search continued for the five people who remain missing.
With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warning of extremely heavy rain in Wayanad, rescue personnel pushed ahead with operations through the day, aware that deteriorating weather could make an already difficult task even more challenging.
The decision to provide financial assistance was taken at the state Cabinet meeting, which also resolved to initiate technical and legal measures to investigate the circumstances that led to the disaster.
The government also said it would bear the responsibility of sending the bodies of the deceased to their home states and ensure medical treatment for those injured in the incident.
Also Read: Kerala puts Wayanand Twin Tube Tunnel Project on hold
The search operation gathered pace on its second day, with the accident site divided into four sectors to allow simultaneous rescue efforts.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Fire and Rescue Services, Police and Civil Defence worked alongside volunteers and workers of the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society in the massive operation.
Those reported missing are construction manager Vikram Rana (Himachal Pradesh), engineer Rahul (Himachal Pradesh), excavator operator Mohammed Imran (Bihar), and surveyors Rakesh Guchait (West Bengal) and Azharuddin Ansari (Uttar Pradesh).
Despite the extensive operation and expectations that the missing workers might be located on Wednesday, the search did not yield the hoped-for breakthrough.
Chief Minister VD Satheesan, who visited the scene of tragedy, said the government’s immediate priority remains tracing the five missing people and made it clear that rescue efforts would not be scaled down until every possibility had been exhausted.
“Our immediate priority is to find the five people who remain missing. NDRF, SDRF, the Police and Fire and Rescue Services are carrying out an intensive search across four sectors, and a search will also be conducted in the Meenakshi River,” the chief minister said.
He also reminded that this was an isolated accident, and no one should create the impression that the entire district is unsafe. Such misinformation could seriously affect the livelihoods of Wayanad’s people, Satheesan pointed out.
“Those displaced have been shifted to relief camps, their concerns will be addressed, damaged houses will be rehabilitated, and the government’s investigation will determine whether the tunnel contractor was responsible for any lapses,” he added.
CM V D Satheesan, along with ministers and officials, visited the incident site on Wednesday
The debris flow struck around 11.15 am on 7 July, burying a stretch of nearly 200 metres around the Kalladi tunnel construction site under huge volumes of earth.
Rescue teams said the accumulated soil measured between seven and ten feet in several places, forcing them to rely on heavy earthmoving equipment before manual searches could begin.
Excavators, backhoes, tippers and other machinery had been positioned in all four search sectors by Tuesday night, allowing uninterrupted work from Wednesday morning.
Officials said the excavated earth was being shifted and deposited at designated locations to facilitate a systematic search.
Search operation in progress at Meenakshi Bridge.
Two sniffer dogs and as many cadaver dogs were also deployed to assist in locating those trapped beneath the debris.
The officials also stated that of the 10 injured, three were discharged and three are in critical condition. Four others are recovering well.
Public Works Department officials are expected to inspect the structural safety of the road and the Meenakshi Bridge after the accumulated soil is fully removed. Most of the mud deposited on the roadway has already been cleared, restoring traffic movement.
Meanwhile, the police have registered an FIR and launched an investigation into the incident.
Authorities continued evacuating vulnerable settlements around the debris slip zone.
A total of 129 people from 48 families living in the incident zone and other vulnerable areas of Meppadi Grama Panchayat have been relocated to the relief camp set up at Meppadi Polytechnic College as a precautionary measure.
The evacuees include 47 men, 48 women and 34 children.
A high-level meeting was chaired by Chief Minister VD Satheesan at the Wayanad Collectorate on Wednesday.
Ministers AP Anilkumar and T Siddique directed officials to provide food, drinking water, medicines and other essential supplies to residents affected in Chooralmala, Mundakkai and Puthumala.
Families living in other vulnerable settlements, including Erattukundu, Kuppachi, Punchirimattom, Thannilod, Thazhe Aranamala and Ayyappan Unnathi, are also being moved to safer locations.
The District Medical Officer has been instructed to establish a temporary health sub-centre near the affected area with doctors, nurses and medicines.
Entry to relief camps has been restricted to protect the privacy of evacuees, while residents travelling between Meppadi and Chooralmala have been exempted from movement restrictions.
Kudumbashree workers and members of the Haritha Karma Sena have taken charge of the community kitchen at the relief camp, while community counsellors are providing psychological support to displaced families.
A district-level control room has also been opened for public assistance. The control room can be reached at 04936-288750.
Also Read: Public entry to disaster-hit area in Wayanad prohibited
Meanwhile, the bodies of the three deceased workers — operator Chandra Bhan from Madhya Pradesh, civil foreman Bikash Kumar from Bihar and labourer Anmol from Jharkhand — were embalmed at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital and handed over to the contracting company for transportation to their native places.
One of the victims, Anmol, was scheduled to be flown to Ranchi on Wednesday night, while arrangements are being made to transport the other two bodies as flight availability permits.
Chief Minister Satheesan visited the landslide site, the relief camp at Meppadi Government Polytechnic College, and the injured undergoing treatment at WIMS Medical College.
CM V D Satheesan at WIMS Hospital
With the India Meteorological Department issuing a Red Alert for Wayanad and forecasting extremely heavy rainfall exceeding 204.4 mm in 24 hours, authorities have stepped up preparedness.
As a precaution, the District Collector declared a holiday on Thursday, 9 July, for all educational institutions, including anganwadis, tuition centres, religious study classes and professional colleges, except residential institutions.
Also Read: Death toll in Wayanad twin-tunnel site collapse rises to 3
Earlier, in the review meeting at the Collectorate, District Collector DR Meghasree said 81 ecologically vulnerable locations have been identified across Wayanad.
Taking note of the Collector’s assessment, the Chief Minister directed the District Collector to convene urgent meetings with local self-government representatives in all identified areas to review preparedness and strengthen preventive measures.
Joining the meeting online, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra directed officials to intensify disaster relief efforts and ensure the safety of residents living in ecologically fragile and flood-prone areas.
She called for the immediate identification and relocation of people living in vulnerable locations if the rain persists, while stressing the need for heightened vigilance around the landslide site. She also urged authorities not to portray the Meppadi incident as representative of the entire district, describing it as an isolated accident.
Calling for a comprehensive probe into the cause of the landslide, Gandhi said a detailed safety audit must be carried out in the affected area and adequate support extended to the families of those still missing.
Also Read: The long road from Hormuz to Kerala
Meanwhile, the Kerala State Human Rights Commission has ordered an inquiry into allegations of serious negligence by project implementers, contractors and government departments in connection with the incident near the Anakampoyil–Kallady tunnel in Wayanad.
Judicial Member K Baijunath directed the Wayanad District Collector and the Public Works Department’s Superintending Engineer (Roads) to conduct a detailed investigation and submit a comprehensive report within 15 days.
The Commission will consider the matter during its sitting at the Bathery Municipal Town Hall on 14 August.
The Commission acted on a complaint filed by public activist V Devadas, who sought an independent probe into the incident.
The complaint called for criminal action against those found responsible, compensation for the families of the victims, suspension of mining activities in the area during adverse weather conditions, rehabilitation measures for those affected, and the formulation of a state-level safety protocol to prevent similar accidents in the future.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
