Thiruvananthapuram: Almost two years after a devastating landslide killed nearly 300 people, another disaster struck Wayanad Tuesday, this time at the construction site of the Kozhikode-Wayanad tunnel project, killing three people.
According to officials, 10 people have been hospitalised, while five are missing. The people who are affected by the disaster are project workers, securitymen and overseeing officers. Due to the rain, the tunnel work was temporarily suspended since yesterday, which avoided a bigger disaster.
State minister and Kalpetta MLA T. Siddique alleged that the tragedy was “man-made” and blamed the construction company for failing to remove excavated soil despite repeated warnings from the district administration and the District Disaster Management Authority.
Siddique said the district administration and the disaster management authority had directed the company on 20 June to remove the excavated soil that had been dumped haphazardly at the construction site. However, the contractor allegedly failed to comply.
“This is not a natural landslip; it is a man-made disaster. The administration had already alerted the company to the danger,” Siddique said.
The Rs 2,134-crore Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi Twin Tunnel Road Project involves constructing an 8.17-km twin-tube tunnel connecting Anakkampoyil in Kozhikode district with Meppadi in Wayanad. The project aims to improve connectivity between the two districts by providing an alternative to the existing Thamarassery Ghat route, reducing travel time and ensuring all-weather access.
Construction began in March this year after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the project. The project is being constructed by the state government with the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL), with Bhopal-based construction company Dilip Buildcon Limited bagging the tunnel work tender.
Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra posted on X: “All efforts are on to rescue those still trapped in the landslide. Respected CM, Shri V. D. Satheesan is monitoring relief efforts himself, the police and NDRF have been at the site for some time, SDRF teams and civil defence volunteers have also reached.”
All efforts are on to rescue those still trapped in the landslide. Respected CM, Shri. V D Satheesan is monitoring relief efforts himself, the police and NDRF have been at the site for some time, SDRF teams and civil defence volunteers have also reached.
We are all coordinating…
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) July 7, 2026
The incident occurred near Meenakshi Bridge at Kalladi in Meppadi panchayat of Wayanad district, which also witnessed the devastating Mundakkai and Chooralmala landslides in 2024 that killed nearly 300 people. Visuals from the site showed a sudden surge of mud and debris sweeping away excavated soil, workers and vehicles parked in the area. There are also concerns that local residents may have been trapped beneath the debris.
Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan said a 30-member team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Meenangadi visited the site. NDRF teams from Kozhikode and Thrissur are on standby for rescue operations.
“The area received heavy rainfall this morning. Even now, it continues to rain, though not heavily. The soil here is loose and muddy, and the disaster management authority had already assessed the risk,” the chief minister said.
The injured have been identified as Hira Kumar (32), Dileep (19), Sooraj Yadav (25), Sanjay Thakur (35), Rajaneesh (27), Thamay Ghosh (28), Koopamal (37), Kunju (39) and Santhosh Kumar.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: Rainfall that caused Wayanad landslides made 10% more intense by climate change—WWA scientists