Wayanad landslide highlights: 4 dead, 6 still missing; police register case, launch probe into landslide
Wayanad landslide highlights: The landslide, which occurred at Kalladi near Meppady, hit a tunnel project underway, trapping several workers.
Wayanad landslide highlights: Four people were killed and nine others injured after a landslide in Kerala's Wayanad on Tuesday, Kerala's public relations department said. Six people are reported to be missing, with authorities saying that as search and rescue operations continue, the death toll is expected to rise, ANI news agency reported. The India Meterological Department issued a red alert for the district. The landslide, which occurred at Kalladi near Meppady, hit a tunnel project underway, trapping several workers. Five of them still remain missing, PTI news agency reported citing North Zone DIG K Karthick....Read More
The workers were employed for a tunnel road project connecting Malappuram and Wayanad districts, according to officials involved in the rescue mission. “It is an unfortunate incident. Rescue efforts are going on,” Satheesan said while speaking to reporters.
Red alert in Wayanad following heavy rains
Meanwhile, the weather department sounded a red alert in Wayanad, with heavy downpour recorded in the district's Mananthavady and Vythiri areas. The landslide hit the Kalladi tunnel project site in Wayanad at around 11 am on Tuesday, following which a red alert was issued at 12.30 pm. A red alert was also issued for neighbouring Kozhikode district, with orange alerts in Malappuram, Kannur and Kasaragod.
A red alert indicates extremely heavy rainfall of over 204 mm in 24 hours, while an orange alert means very heavy rain of 115 mm to 204 mm, and a yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 64 mm to 115 mm.
Residents evacuated, minister calls it ‘man-made’ disaster
Rescue operations at the site of the landslide are underway, with teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Fire and Rescue Services, police, Forest Department personnel and local residents present.
The district administration has begun evacuating residents living near the site of the disaster as heavy rains continue. The families residing in a nearby colony were shifted from the locality, PTI reported.
Kerala agriculture minister T Siddique has called the disaster “man-made”, saying it was a consequence of "unscientific dumping" linked to the ongoing tunnel project.
“It's a disaster perpetuated by unscientific dumping of soil and mud as part of the tunnel project. There were indications of such actions and they were raised at meetings of the Konkan officials. But it seems no corrective steps were taken,” Siddique said, adding that six people had been hospitalised so far.
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- 7 Jul 2026, 10:36:12 PM IST
Wayanad landslide: Latest developments
• The death toll in the landslide, which occurred at Kalladi near Meppady and hit a tunnel project construction site, has risen to four. Nine people had been admitted to the hospital. Two were released later, while seven continue to undergo treatment. Six people are reported to be missing, according to Kerala's PRD.
• After the state government flagged non-compliance with earlier directions to remove accumulated soil and called the landslide a “man-made” disaster, the tunnel project contractor said it was triggered owing to extremely heavy rainfall. The contractor said the room for technical error “was very limited” owing to multiple regulatory oversight and monitoring mechanisms.
• Rescue and relief work continued through the evening. An ambulance and a medical team will remain stationed at the site overnight even after rescue operations are suspended, Kerala health minister K Muraleedharan said, PTI news agency reported.
• Police registered a case of unnatural death and launched a probe into the landslide. According to the FIR, the landslide occurred between 11 am and 11.30 am near Meenakshi Bridge, where work on the road tunnel project was under way. As the case was registered around 2 pm, the FIR recorded two deaths, eight injuries and several persons missing.
• A total of 142 people from 42 families living near the landslide site have been shifted to a relief camp at Meppadi Polytechnic. Doctors and other health workers have been deployed at the camp, according to PTI.
- 7 Jul 2026, 10:27:33 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Three killed in disaster identified as migrant workers
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Three people who lost their lives in a landslide which hit the tunnel road construction site in Wayanad have been identified as migrant workers from Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, PTI news agency cited officials as saying.
The deceased were identified as Chandraban, an operator from Madhya Pradesh; Bikash Kumar, a civil foreman from Bihar; and Anmol, a worker from Jharkhand, they said. Their post-mortem examinations were conducted at Vythiri Taluk Hospital.
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- 7 Jul 2026, 10:07:28 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Death toll rises to four, six missing, says Kerala PRD
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: The death toll in the landslide in Wayanad has risen to four as search and rescue operations continue, ANI news agency reported citing Kerala's information and public relations department (PRD).
Nine injured persons have been admitted to hospitals for treatment, and the authorities said the casualties could increase as the rescue work continues.
- 7 Jul 2026, 09:23:01 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: After state govt calls disaster ‘man-made’, tunnel project contractor says extreme rainfall triggered landslide
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: The contractor executing the Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi road tunnel project in Wayanad, which was hit by a landslide, said the disaster was triggered by extremely heavy rainfall, PTI news agency reported.
The contractor said the work was being carried out in strict compliance with all prescribed protocols. In a statement, Dilip Buildcon Ltd expressed deep sorrow after the incident, said its priority was to support rescue and relief operations.
“The India Meteorological Department had issued warnings for heavy to very heavy rainfall across parts of Kerala, while preliminary data from the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority indicates that Wayanad received approximately 265 mm of rainfall in the preceding 24 hours-among the highest recorded in the district this monsoon season,” the company's statement said.
It said the project was subject to multiple regulatory oversight and monitoring mechanisms, including supervision by the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee, owing to its ecologically sensitive location. “With such additional and strict compliance procedures, the room for technical error remains very limited. We remain fully committed to cooperating with the investigation and will continue to share verified information as it becomes available,” it said, according to PTI.
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- 7 Jul 2026, 08:54:51 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Rescue and relief work continues through evening, visuals show
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Visuals from the landslide site in the evening showed rescue and relief operations underway, PTI news agency reported.
- 7 Jul 2026, 08:21:08 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Recue ops to continue through the night, says DIG
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Rescue operations to trace the missing people will continue through the night, North Zone deputy inspector general of police K Karthick said on Tuesday, according to PTI news agency.
“The deceased and the injured were engaged in work at the construction site. One of the injured is a police sub-inspector who reached the spot for rescue operations. Apart from that, a woman resident of the area is also among the injured,” Karthick said.
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- 7 Jul 2026, 08:18:14 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Five people remain untraced, nine injured, says DIG
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: A coordinated search-and-rescue operation is underway to trace those missing after the landslide at Kalladi in Wayanad district, North Zone DIG K Karthick said on Tuesday, according to PTI news agency.
“We have been informed that five more persons are yet to be traced. However, we cannot confirm that there are more people trapped. A clearer picture will emerge as the rescue operation progresses,” Karthick said. He added that the bodies of three persons had been recovered till evening, while nine others had been injured in the incident.
- 7 Jul 2026, 08:12:32 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Room for ‘technical error’ very limited in Wayanad landslide, says Dilip Buildcon
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Infrastructure company Dilip Buildcon on Tuesday ruled out any technical error that could have led to a landslide at the Anakkampoyil–Kalladi– Meppadi tunnel project site in Kerala's Wayanad, PTI news agency reported.
“Given its location in an ecologically sensitive region, the project is subject to multiple regulatory oversight and monitoring mechanisms, including supervision by the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee, and all excavated material is handled in accordance with the approved methodology,” Dilip Buildcon, in a regulatory filing, said.
It further added, “With such additional and strict compliance procedures, the room for technical error remains very limited.”
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- 7 Jul 2026, 07:44:48 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Police register case, launch probe into incident
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: The police on Tuesday registered a case and launched an investigation into the landslide at Kalladi in Wayanad district which killed three people and left seven missing. The Meppady police registered a case of unnatural death and launched a probe, PTI news agency reported.
According to the FIR, the landslide occurred between 11 am and 11.30 am near Meenakshi Bridge, where work on the road tunnel project was under way. As the case was registered around 2 pm, the FIR recorded two deaths, eight injuries and several persons missing.
- 7 Jul 2026, 07:38:58 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: 25 families shifted to relief camp after tragedy
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Around 25 families residing near the landslide site in Wayanad have been shifted to a government polytechnic college, visuals by PTI news agency show.
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- 7 Jul 2026, 07:37:33 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Extremely heavy rainfall likely in Karnataka over next 24 hours, says IMD scientist
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: In Karnataka, extremely heavy rainfall is likely over the next 24 hours at isolated places, IMD scientist Dr N. Puviarasan told ANI news agency.
“For the next 24 hours, districts of coastal Karnataka, south Karnataka, and north Karnataka will likely get extreme rainfall at isolated places and in these districts most of the places we can expect heavy to very heavy rainfall…” the IMD scientist said.
Puviarasan added that Bengaluru would receive light to moderate showers at “one or two places”, but “not much rain” otherwise.
- 7 Jul 2026, 06:45:28 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Kerala ministers underline cause of disaster, call it ‘man-made’
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Kerala ministers Ramesh Chennithala and T Siddique on Tuesday said the landslide which hit the Kalladi tunnel project site was a “man-made” disaster, PTI news agency reported.
“This is not a natural landslide. It is a man-made one. It occurred due to the unscientific dumping of excavated earth,” Siddique told reporters. He said concerns had been raised earlier regarding the manner in which excavated earth was being dumped at the site. He said directions had been issued to remove accumulated earth, adding that the state government would examine why these had not been followed.
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- 7 Jul 2026, 06:08:48 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Death toll rises to three, seven remain missing, says official
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: At least three people have been killed in the landslide which struck the Kalladi tunnel construction site in Wayanad on Tuesday, an official said, according to ANI news agency.
The official said efforts were underway to trace seven other persons who went missing after the incident.
- 7 Jul 2026, 05:53:36 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Rahul calls incident ‘deeply distressing’, says ‘every possible effort’ being made to trace those trapped
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday termed the landslide in Wayanad as “deeply distressing”, while condoling the deaths in the disaster.
“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,” Rahul said in a post on X. He further said that relief and rescue operations were underway, adding that “every possible effort” was being made to reach those who were still trapped.
He appealed to the UDF workers to extend assistance in rescue efforts. “Wayanad has shown remarkable resilience in the face of adversity before, and together, we will stand by every affected family through this tragedy,” Rahul said.
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- 7 Jul 2026, 05:42:48 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: LoP Pinarayi Vijayan terms incident ‘tragic’, calls for probe
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday termed the landslide in Wayanad as “tragic and shocking.”
In a statement, the former Kerala CM said urgent steps should be taken to rescue people trapped under the debris and to provide free medical treatment to those injured. He also sought a probe to determine whether any lapses or "criminal negligence" led to the incident, PTI news agency reported.
- 7 Jul 2026, 05:23:14 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates:Rescue op underway at Kalladi
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: The rescue operations after the landslide is underway near the Meenakshi Bridge in Wayanad district's Kalladi.
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- 7 Jul 2026, 05:19:46 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Heavy rain in region affecting rescue ops, says CM Satheesan
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Kerala chief minister VD Satheesan on Tuesday said that heavy rainfall in the landslide-hit region was impacting rescue operations.
Debris accumulated near a twin tunnel project site in ecologically fragile Western Ghats slid down amid heavy monsoon rain on Tuesday, burying shelters housing the labourers, a house, and a church at Kalladi in Kerala’s Wayanad.
“There has been heavy rain in the region, which has affected the ongoing rescue operations,” Satheesan said in Thiruvananthapuram.
- 7 Jul 2026, 05:03:48 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: ‘Felt like I was trapped under a vehicle,’ says eyewitness
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: An eyewitness who survived the landslide which hit Kerala's Wayanad on Tuesday said she was caught in the debris despite trying to outrun it,
“I was waiting for the bus when I saw a building collapse. I started to run as fast as I could, but the landslide still reached me,” the woman told ANI news agency. She added that it “felt like” she had been “trapped under a vehicle”. “I don't know how I survived and escaped,” she said.
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- 7 Jul 2026, 04:47:30 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates:Cong MP Priyanka Gandhi condoles deaths, appeals to UDF workers to support rescue ops
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Congress leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday condoled the deaths in the Wayanad landslide, while praying for those who had not been traced. “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,” Priyanka said in a post on X.
The Wayanad MP further appealed to workers from the UDF to provide support in the rescue and relief efforts. “I appeal to UDF workers, functionaries and members of the public to provide all possible support while strictly following the administration’s guidelines. 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,” she said.
- 7 Jul 2026, 04:41:26 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall expected in north Kerala, says IMD scientist
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: IMD scientist Neetha K Gopal said very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall could take place in north Kerala, with red alert being issued in Calicut (Kozhikode) and Wayanad.
An orange alert has been issued for Kasaragod, Kannur, and Malappuram, and a yellow alert for several districts extending up to central Kerala, Gopal told PTI news agency.
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- 7 Jul 2026, 04:11:43 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: PWD minister says state govt had warned Konkan Railway Corporation about risks at tunnel site
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: PWD minister P K Basheer on Tuesday said that in a review meeting after the UDF assumed office, the state government 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, PTI news agency reported.
“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, adding that another review meeting was held on July 1.
- 7 Jul 2026, 04:08:55 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: PWD should not be blamed for tunnel site mishap, project being executed by Konkan Railway Corporation, says minister
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: 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.
Basheer said that the project was being executed by Konkan Railway Corporation under an arrangement made during the previous LDF government's tenure, PTI news agency reported.
“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,” the minister said.
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- 7 Jul 2026, 04:00:46 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Visuals show rescue ops underway, personnel present at site
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Rescue operations are still underway in Kerala's Wayanad district, with personnel present at the site and equipment being used for road clearance.
- 7 Jul 2026, 03:54:25 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: CCTV footage shows chilling moment when massive debris barreled through hillside
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: CCTV visuals of the chilling moments when the landslide hit Wayanad district have emerged. In the footage, massive debris can be seen barrelling through the hillside areas as people were seen running.
The debris swept away roads and vehicles as it moved through the area.
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- 7 Jul 2026, 03:32:32 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Kerala CM monitors situation after landslide
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Kerala chief minister VD Satheesan monitored the situation following a landlslide in Wayanad.
- 7 Jul 2026, 03:28:44 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Eight people rescued from landslide-hit area shifted to hospital, relief camp set up
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Eight people have been rescued from the landslide-affected area and have been shifted to Meppadi WIMS Hospital for treatment, Kerala department of information and public relations said, according to ANI news agency.
Meanwhile, a relief camp has been set up at the at Chulikka Government LP School, and residents from homes in the affected area are being shifted to the camp.
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- 7 Jul 2026, 03:22:58 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Wayanad at 51% rain deficiency, rain picked up yesterday, says IMD scientist
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Wayanad had not received much rainfall in the past few days, with a rain deficiency of 51% this season, IMD scientist Neetha K Gopal told ANI news agency.
“Since yesterday, the Westerly winds have strengthened and almost all the hilly regions of Kerala,m especially Wayanad, Malappuram, Udukki, Palakkad districts have started getting rainfall. Yesterday night, the rain picked up, and Wayanad received extremely heavy rainfall,” Gopal said, adding that the wind is expected to remain strong. A red alert was issued for Wayanad and Calicut on Tuesday.
- 7 Jul 2026, 03:16:49 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Rescue to be completed after road clearance, no locals affected, says minister
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Kerala health minister K Muraleedharan said the rescue work at the lanslide-hit site will be completed after the road clearance.
“We have directed all hospitals in Wayanad for the treatment of the labourers who were from outside Keralam,” the minister told ANI news agency, adding that preliminary report suggests no locals were affected in the incident.
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- 7 Jul 2026, 03:10:39 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Rescue operations underway at the site | Watch
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Rescue operations are still underway, with at least seven people trapped.
- 7 Jul 2026, 03:08:16 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Emergency meeting held, ministers told to reach Wayanad, says CM
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Kerala chief minister VD Satheesan on Tuesday said an emergency meeting was held after the landslide with agriculture minister T Siddique, who is from Wayanad district.
“In the wake of the landslide near Meenakshi Bridge at Kalladi in Wayanad, the government reviewed the situation…Directions have been issued to coordinate rescue operations without delay. Revenue Minister AP Anil Kumar and Agriculture Minister T Siddique have been directed to proceed to Wayanad immediately,” Satheesan said in a post on X, adding that he also spoke to the district collector.
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- 7 Jul 2026, 03:00:24 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Recovery measures underway, personnel present at site, says Kerala CM
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Kerala chief minister VD Satheesan on Tuesday said rescue operations at the landslide site in Wayanad were underway.
“Now the the forces are there from the Meenangadi. And the fire force and the police are taking recovery measures to find out the persons those who are missing. Now the the forces are there from the Meenangadi. And the fire force and the police are taking recovery measures to find out the persons those who are missing,” Satheesan told ANI news agency.
- 7 Jul 2026, 02:58:56 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Kerala CM says tunnel contractor did not obey order to remove soil
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Following the landslide, Kerala chief minister VD Satheesan criticised the contractor of the tunnel for not removing the soil from the spot, despite being ordered to do so earlier.
“The Disaster Management Authority and the District Collector has already issued an order on June 20 to remove all the soil from the spot. The preliminary information is that the contractor of the tunnel has not obeyed the order issued by the District Collector and the Disaster Management Authority,” Satheesan told ANI news agency.
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- 7 Jul 2026, 02:42:15 PM IST
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: Residents evacuated after landslide, temporary shelters arranged
Wayanad Landslide LIVE Updates: The Wayanad district administration has begun to evacuated residents living near the site of the landslide, which hit the district earlier today. The families living in a nearby colony were shifted from the locality, with temporary shelter arranged for them at Meppady, PTI news agency reported citing officials.