Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, July 7: At least five people were killed and several others are still feared trapped under the debris after a major landslide caused by continuous heavy rainfall struck Kalladi near Meppady in Wayanad district in Kerala on Tuesday.
The incident occurred near Meenakshi Bridge, where construction work on a tunnel road connecting Malappuram and Wayanad districts is currently underway, around 11 AM. Construction workers were present in the area when the incident took place.
According to Fire and Rescue Services officials, emergency teams from Kalpetta were immediately rushed to the affected area after receiving information about the landslide. Rescue operations were launched immediately, with local residents stepping in to help and pulling people to safety. Officials currently fear that around 10 people may still be trapped under the debris while six injured people have been admitted to hospital for treatment.
Chief Minister VD Satheesan held an urgent meeting with ministers from the district and directed that rescue and relief operations be coordinated on a war footing. 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.
Authorities said work at the tunnel project had already been suspended from Monday due to heavy rainfall. The area received around 265 mm of rain in the last 24 hours, and officials believe the intense rainfall may have contributed to the debris slide. Further assessment of the site is underway.
Before emergency personnel reached the site, local residents managed to rescue six people from landslide-hit area. Officials said the victims were staying at an accommodation used by workers associated with the tunnel road project. Authorities are still verifying whether additional workers or local residents remain trapped under the debris.
Officials said the landslide impacted an area that also has a few residential houses and homestays, raising concerns about the safety of people living nearby. Several vehicles used to transport employees working on the tunnel project were also damaged after being caught in the landslide. The full extent of the damage is yet to be assessed.
Among the people reported missing following the Kalladi landslide included senior officials supervising the construction of the Wayanad tunnel road (Anakkampoyil–Kalladi–Meppadi) project and labourers. In a statement, Wayanad district administration officials said the nine people rescued from the area affected by the debris slip had been shifted to WIMS Hospital, Meppadi. A relief camp has also been opened at Chulikka Government Lower Primary School, and residents of houses in the affected area are being moved there.
Apart from Fire and Rescue Services personnel, police teams and members of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have also been deployed to assist in the rescue operation. Minister T Siddique and the Wayanad District Collector are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating rescue efforts. Officials are simultaneously verifying whether more people remain trapped in the affected area.
The landslide occurred near the ongoing Anakkompoyil-Meppadi tunnel road project, an important infrastructure initiative aimed at improving connectivity between Malappuram and Wayanad districts. Construction work on the project began last year. Authorities are expected to examine whether the landslide has caused any damage to the project site or affected construction activities.
Speaking to media persons, Kerala Revenue Minister AP Anil Kumar informed that the rescue operation has started and a team of 30 NDRF personnel reached the spot. Chief Minister Satheesan claimed that the tunnel project’s contractor failed to comply with a June 20 order issued by the District Collector and the Disaster Management Authority directing the removal of soil from the construction site.
Kerala Agriculture Minister T. Siddique said the debris slip in Wayanad was “man-made” caused by unscientifically stacked excavated soil. He alleged that the contractor’s failure to remove the accumulated earth in time led to the incident. He also said the authorities had previously warned Konkan Railways about the risk of a landslide at the site.
Speaking with reporters, the minister said, “It is not a natural landslide, but a man-made landslide. It is a clear case of lapse. Six people are seriously injured, and they are admitted to the hospital. Their condition is stable. We will continue search and rescue at the site in Kalladi. The District Collector had given in writing to Konkan Railways regarding the chance of a landslide at the site. Two teams comprising a total of 60 NDRF personnel from Wayanad and Kozhikode have been directed to the site.”
He added, “The District Collector is present at the site. I, along with State Minister AP Anil Kumar, am going to the site. Konkan Railways was directed to take necessary action about this earlier, but no action was taken by them. Such things cannot be tolerated because two years ago, 298 people lost their lives in a landslide at Mundakkai.”
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Wayanad district on Tuesday. A red alert was also declared in neighbouring Kozhikode district, while Malappuram, Kannur and Kasaragod were placed under orange alert. According to official data, Mananthavady received 64 mm of rain and Vythiri recorded 123 mm during the day. The weather department defines a red alert as extremely heavy rainfall exceeding 204 mm in 24 hours, while an orange alert denotes rainfall between 115 mm and 204 mm. A yellow alert is issued when rainfall is expected to range between 64 mm and 115 mm.
Landslides have caused problems in Wayanad many times in the past, with the district witnessing several deadly incidents over the decades. The most devastating in recent memory occurred on July 30, 2024, when massive landslides struck Wayanad. Most of the victims were asleep when the landslides hit between 1:30 am and 4:00 am.
The landslide spanned an area of 86,000 square meters, with the crown located at approximately 1,550 meters above Mean Sea Level (MSL). The debris flow extended for about 8 kilometres. According to official records, 298 people were killed in that disaster.
Wayanad’s history of landslides stretches back several decades. Among the notable incidents was the Mundakkai debris flow of 1984, which claimed 14 lives and destroyed prime agricultural land. In 1992, the Kappikkalam landslide near Padinjarethara claimed 11 lives. Another major incident, the Valamthode landslide on June 23, 2007, resulted in four deaths.
Wayanad, a landlocked district in Kerala, is part of the Western Ghats and has been identified as one of the state’s most landslide-prone regions. Nearly 17,000 square kilometres of land in Kerala, mostly along the western side of the Western Ghats, has been mapped as landslide-prone. Research has determined that Wayanad is the district most susceptible to landslides in Kerala.
The district is situated at the southern tip of the Deccan Plateau and forms part of the Western Ghats mountain range. In addition to landslides, Wayanad is vulnerable to various natural disasters and is classified under Zone III, a Moderate Risk Damage Zone with regard to earthquakes.
The hill ranges bordering Wayanad, Malappuram and Kozhikode districts are particularly susceptible to landslides. The Wayanad-Kozhikode border has also been identified by the Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS) as one of the most landslide-prone areas in Kerala.
Experts have cautioned the authorities against the threat posed by major infrastructure projects in ecologically vulnerable regions in the wake of the Kalladi landslide. Experts warn that the Wayanad tunnel project poses risks to fragile ecosystems, urging stricter guidelines amid increasing landslide threats.
According to Public Works department (PWD) officials, the 8.73-km Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi tunnel road project, connecting Wayanad and Kozhikode districts, is among the largest infrastructure development projects in the State.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had also stipulated 24 stringent conditions for the execution of the project without harming the environment. They included clear demarcation of the converted forest land, undertaking compensatory afforestation on an equivalent extent of non-forest land, and planting of at least 1,000 saplings per hectare within two years.
The Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, who represents Wayanad in the Lok Sabha, called upon the UDF workers “to provide all possible support while strictly following the administration’s guidelines.”