Wayanad (Kerala), Jul 7 (PTI) The district administration on Tuesday began evacuating families living near the landslide site close to the Kalladi tunnel project in this district as rescue operations gathered steam to search for seven missing persons.
According to officials, the Kalladi-Meppady road was blocked following the landslide.
As heavy rain continued in the area and to prevent any further danger, families residing in a nearby colony were shifted from the locality.
The evacuees will be accommodated at Meppady, where temporary arrangements have been made for their stay, officials said.
Rescue operations at the landslide site are being carried out by teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Fire and Rescue Services, police, Forest Department personnel and residents.
MLA I C Balakrishnan, Wayanad District Panchayat President Chandrika Krishnan, District Collector D R Meghashree and other public representatives were present at the site to oversee the rescue operations.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister V D Satheesan reached the office of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) in Thiruvananthapuram and reviewed the situation with Member Secretary Sekhar L Kuriakose.
Separately, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala directed the Director General of Fire and Rescue Services and the Wayanad District Police Chief to intensify rescue operations in the landslide-hit area.
Six persons injured in the incident have been admitted to hospital, while search operations are underway to ascertain whether more people are trapped under the debris.
Meanwhile, engineers associated with the tunnel project told media that no tunnelling work had been carried out since June 12 and that only reinforcement and safety-related works were in progress.
According to them, around 15 workers had been deployed to the designated mud disposal area to construct a gabion wall and undertake slope protection work when the landslide occurred.
An engineer at the site said the landslide did not originate from the tunnel or the active construction zone.
“The collapse occurred within a fraction of a second on a slope located at the extreme left edge, outside the designated construction boundary. Within three to four seconds, the debris rushed towards the Meenakshi Bridge area,” he said.
He said members of the technical team stationed on the other side of the Meenakshi Bridge escaped safely, but several others were caught in the sudden flow of mud.
The engineer said that an office was functioning at the place where the landslide took place.
“At the time of the incident, seven to eight workers were engaged in protection work or moving through the area, four to five security personnel were stationed nearby to monitor the slope, and two to three DBL engineers were positioned outside the primary construction perimeter,” the engineer said. PTI TBA TBA ADB
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