A major landslide triggered by heavy rainfall struck the Anakkompoyil–Meppadi tunnel construction site near Kalladi in Kerala’s Wayanad district on Tuesday, leaving one person dead and seven others missing. Seven workers were rescued from the debris and rushed to nearby hospitals, while emergency teams launched an intensive search operation amid difficult weather conditions.
The landslide occurred near the under-construction tunnel connecting Wayanad and Kozhikode, where continuous monsoon rains reportedly caused a large mound of excavated soil to collapse onto the worksite. Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Fire and Rescue Services, police, and local volunteers are engaged in rescue efforts as authorities fear more workers may still be trapped beneath the debris.
The incident has revived painful memories of the devastating 2024 Wayanad landslides, one of Kerala’s worst natural disasters, which claimed hundreds of lives. The latest tragedy has once again raised concerns over safety measures at infrastructure projects in landslide-prone regions during the monsoon season, with officials closely monitoring the situation as rescue operations continue.
