Wayanad Landslide: Five Dead, Five Missing as Rescue Teams Divide Area into Four Zones
Five people have died and 12 remain hospitalised following a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall in Kerala's Wayanad district. Five others are feared trapped under the debris. Rescue operations are ongoing in the Meppadi region, which has been divided into four zones to expedite search efforts.
Wayanad Police Chief S. Deva Manohar stated, 'Today, our focus will be to find these five missing persons. We have divided into four zones. We have the equipment and cadaver dogs. We have mobilised everything. We are trying to reinstate transportation as well.'
Rescue operations continued through the night but no bodies were recovered. The relentless rainfall, with over 200 mm recorded in the past two days, remains a major challenge for the teams.
The landslide occurred near the site of the ongoing Anakkompoyil-Meppadi tunnel road project, which aims to connect Malappuram and Wayanad districts. Construction workers were present in the area at the time. Kerala Minister T. Siddique described the incident as a 'man-made' disaster resulting from negligence, alleging that authorities had previously warned the Konkan Railway Corporation about the risk of landslides. Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan added that contractors did not comply with orders to halt work. Reports indicate that the Wayanad Collector on June 20 requested a temporary stop to work until accumulated soil from tunnelling was removed.
Chief Minister Satheesan called the incident 'very unfortunate' and announced a detailed techno-legal study to determine if the construction company violated any rules.
