At least one person was killed, seven injured and as many missing following a landslide here that was described as "man-made" by a state minister.
Agriculture minister T Siddique said the incident at the Kalladi tunnel project site was not a natural landslide but a "man-made" one caused by the unscientific dumping of excavated earth.
"This is not a natural landslide. It is a man-made landslide. It happened due to the unscientific dumping of excavated earth," he told reporters.
The minister said concerns over the manner in which excavated soil was being dumped at the site had been raised earlier after heavy rains in Wayanad.
Directions had been issued to assess the situation, remove the accumulated earth and stop work if required, he said.
"The government will examine why this happened and why the earlier directions were not followed," Siddique added.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the news about the landslide in Wayanad is deeply distressing and called upon the government to make every possible effort to reach out to those who are still trapped.
The leader of opposition in Lok Sabha also called upon the Congress and UDF workers to extend their assistance in this time of need.
"The news of the landslide in Wayanad is deeply distressing. My heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected.
"Relief and rescue operations are underway, and every possible effort is being made to reach those still trapped. I appeal to all Congress and UDF workers to extend any assistance in this time of need," he said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, a rain red alert was issued by the IMD on Tuesday in the district, where very heavy rainfall was received in Mananthavady and Vythiri areas during the day.
The alert was issued at 12.30 pm after the landslide at the Kalladi tunnel project site in Wayanad at around 11 am.
CM Satheesan said that necessary rescue forces are reaching the area and the police as well as fire and rescue personnel were already deployed at the site.
In a post on X, Priyanka said police, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Civil Defence volunteers were already at the site.
"My deepest condolences to those who have lost precious family members, we will be by your side through this terrible time and give you every support possible. Our prayers and hope for those who have still not been found, may they stay strong while rescue efforts attempt to reach them and may their loved ones who wait for them have courage at this painful moment," her post said.
"I appeal to UDF workers, functionaries and members of the public to provide all possible support while strictly following the administration’s guidelines," she said, adding, "At a time like this, we need to ensure that relief and rescue efforts are not hampered and we ensure all possible help without causing any distractions."
According to officials, the landslide occurred near Meenakshi Bridge at Kalladi, where work on a tunnel road project connecting Kozhikode and Wayanad districts was underway. The mishap site comes under the Meppady panchayat, which witnessed the tragic 2024 landslide as well.
Kerala PWD minister P K Basheer on Tuesday said the department should not be blamed for the landslide at the Kalladi tunnel road project site in Wayanad, asserting that the project was being executed by Konkan Railway Corporation under an arrangement made during the previous LDF government's tenure.
Speaking to reporters, Basheer said the tragedy should not be politicised.
"We did not prepare the estimate for the project. The Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) appointed Konkan Railway Corporation as the special purpose vehicle (SPV). The work arrangement was made by Konkan Railway. Everything was done by Konkan Railway. Do not blame the PWD for it," he said.
The minister said the state government had reviewed the project soon after the UDF assumed office and had warned the executing agency about the potential risks at the site.
He said an online review meeting was convened on June 12 with officials, including the PWD Secretary, Additional Secretary, district collectors and representatives of Konkan Railway.
Following the meeting, PWD Secretary Adeela Abdulla, chief engineers and the Wayanad district collector were deputed to inspect the site.
"They found a huge quantity of excavated earth piled up there. We instructed Konkan Railway that no work should be carried out during rain, no workers should be deployed in such conditions and the accumulated earth should be removed," Basheer said.
He said another review meeting was held on July 1, during which the executing agency was again directed to take precautionary measures.
"We communicated all these instructions to Konkan Railway. The PWD had no supervisory or execution role in the project. That arrangement was made during the previous government's tenure," he said.
Basheer said the project had received the required environmental clearances from the Union ministry of environment before construction began.
Asked whether the accident was the result of the contractor ignoring government directions, the minister said the government had conveyed its concerns to Konkan Railway and would examine the circumstances leading to the incident.
"You should not see politics in everything. A disaster has happened. Rescue operations are under way," he said.
PWD secretary Adeela Abdulla said the minister had repeatedly raised safety concerns during review meetings over the past three weeks and instructed that no labourers should be deployed at the site during adverse weather.
"As a result, no labourers were trapped in the landslide. Those affected were engineers and security personnel. Had regular work been in progress, the tragedy could have been much worse," she said.
She said the department had inspected the site along with officials from the Geological Survey and environmental authorities.
According to Abdulla, the excavated earth had been piled up before the onset of the monsoon.
She said if labourers had been engaged in removing the earth during the rains, they too could have been trapped in the landslide.
She said experts from the Geological Survey had advised that the accumulated earth should not be disturbed for the time being and that residents living downhill near the Meenakshi River may have to be relocated if necessary at the expense of contractors.
Wayanad landslide shows the disaster unfold
'Run fast friends', are the words heard in the background of the shocking visuals of a huge mound of mud sliding down onto the road and bridge near Kalladi here as several people, including women, attempt to outrun the landslide.
"Run fast friends. Take a photo," the eyewitness could be heard saying in the brief video clip, aired on TV channels, shot from beyond the bridge.
The clip shows the mound of mud, accumulated near the Meenakshi Bridge at Kalladi as part of an ongoing tunnel road project connecting Kozhikode and Wayanad districts, suddenly sliding down due to the rain, bringing down trees and blowing away the metal and cloth barricades set up at the construction site.
The terrifying visuals showed the mudslide spilling onto the road and rushing as a huge wave over the bridge, dragging along a tanker lorry parked there, all the way to the other side where some commercial establishments were located.
A video clip from the CCTV cameras of one of the establishments showed several persons, including a woman, trying to outrun the cascade of mud, but it slams into them and the lorry and drags them all to the other side of the bridge, coming to an end in front of the shops.
The lorry slammed into a jeep parked there, and then the visuals showed a man and a woman who were outrun by the landslide coming out from the space between the two vehicles, completely covered in the thick mud, having miraculously survived the terrifying incident.
A couple of other men could also be seen limping away, covered in mud.
Those present near the shops ran away to safety the moment they saw the mudslide breaking through the barriers.
The visuals also showed a private bus, reportedly used to ferry the workers to the construction site, that was parked there being pushed into the nearby river by the landslide.
Later it was seen lying half submerged in the river as the water flowed through it.
Subsequent visuals showed the bridge and surrounding area completely covered by huge layers of mud as rescue personnel attempted to ascertain whether people were trapped underneath it.
One of the survivors, Ashik told ANI, "The entire mound of soil that had been piled up there suddenly collapsed and came crashing down. The incident happened at around 11 a.m."