Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: One person was killed, seven others were injured, and seven others were missing in the mudslide at the Wayanad end of the Anakkampoyil–Kalladi tunnel road project on July 7, Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan said, terming it “a very unfortunate tragedy”.
All of them are workers engaged in construction activities.
The mudslide occurred near Meenakshi Bridge at Kalladi, where the Wayanad end of the tunnel road project is under construction. Preliminary reports indicate that incessant rain triggered the collapse of massive heaps of excavated earth stacked at the site, burying parts of the work area.
The incident followed exceptionally heavy rainfall in Meppadi, which recorded 226 mm of rain in the past 24 hours.
The area is a popular tourist stop, and several private vehicles, along with a bus used to transport construction workers, were parked nearby when the mudslide occurred. Rescue personnel fear that people may still be trapped beneath the debris.
After chairing an emergency review meeting at the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) headquarters here, Satheesan said rescue teams are working despite incessant rain severely hampering operations.
“The latest information available with us is that one person has died, seven are in hospital, and seven others are missing. Rescue operations are continuing on a war footing,” he told reporters.
In a significant disclosure, Satheesan said the authorities had repeatedly directed the construction company to remove the huge quantities of excavated earth that had been piled up at the site.
A formal Government order to this effect had been issued on June 20, but the company failed to comply.
