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• Three workers lost their lives and several others remain missing after a rain-triggered landslide struck a tunnel construction site in Kerala's Wayanad district.
• Rescue teams, including the NDRF, SDRF, Fire and Rescue Services, police and local volunteers, are continuing search operations despite heavy rainfall and unstable terrain.
• Nine injured workers have been rescued and admitted to hospitals, while authorities are assessing the damage and investigating the cause of the incident.
• The tragedy has once again raised concerns over infrastructure work in Wayanad's landslide-prone areas, especially during the monsoon season.
Three people were killed and several others are feared trapped after a landslide hit a tunnel road construction site in Kerala's Wayanad district following continuous heavy rainfall. The incident occurred near Kalladi in Meppadi, where a portion of the hillside collapsed onto the worksite, burying workers and construction equipment under large volumes of mud and debris. Rescue teams are continuing operations to locate those still missing.
Officials from Kerala's Public Relations Department (PRD) confirmed that three workers died in the incident, while nine others were rescued with injuries and shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment. Authorities indicated that the death toll could rise as rescue personnel continue clearing the debris and searching for those believed to be trapped beneath the collapsed earth.
The rescue operation involves multiple agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Kerala Fire and Rescue Services, district police, local administration and volunteers. Earthmoving equipment has been deployed to speed up the operation, although continuous rainfall, loose soil and unstable slopes have slowed rescue efforts and created additional risks for emergency personnel.
Preliminary reports suggested that several labourers were working at the tunnel construction site when the landslide occurred. Officials are yet to confirm the exact number of workers present at the time of the collapse, as teams continue to verify the missing persons list with contractors and local authorities.
The incident occurred near Chooralmala and Mundakkai, the areas that witnessed one of Kerala's deadliest landslides in 2024. The latest accident has once again highlighted the vulnerability of Wayanad's hilly terrain during the southwest monsoon, particularly around construction sites located in ecologically sensitive regions.
Kerala has been receiving intense rainfall over the past week, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue heavy rain alerts for several districts. Authorities have repeatedly warned of the possibility of landslides, mudslides and flash floods in vulnerable hill regions, including Wayanad, where saturated soil significantly increases the risk of slope failures.
State authorities are closely monitoring the rescue operation and have directed all concerned departments to extend necessary support to the affected workers and their families. The district administration is also assessing the extent of the damage, while officials said the exact cause of the landslide and whether safety protocols at the construction site were adequate will be examined after rescue operations are completed.
The tunnel project forms part of the road connectivity improvement works in Wayanad, a district that frequently experiences landslides during the monsoon due to its steep terrain and heavy rainfall. The latest incident is expected to bring renewed focus on worker safety, geological assessments and construction practices in landslide-prone areas.
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