The toll in the July 7 landslide at the tunnel project site in Kerala’s Wayanad rose to eight on Sunday after the body of the last person feared trapped in the debris was recovered following an intensive search operation, officials aware of the development said.
The incident took place in Kalladi at the site of the Anakkampoyil-Meppadi twin-tube tunnel project, which is intended to connect Wayanad and Kozhikode districts.
According to officials, the deceased identified as Vikram Rana, a resident of Thakoli-Girthan village in the Fatehpur subdivision of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh, was the project manager at the tunnel construction site and had been deputed to the project in February this year.
The body was found around 350 metres downstream from the Meenakshi bridge, where iron debris had accumulated following the landslide, during a search operation along the river around 11.30 am, officials said.
“The body was identified by Rana’s relatives and shifted to the Vythiri Talik Hospital for post-mortem examination. It will later be taken to the Kozhikode Government Medical Hospital for embalming before being transported to his native place,” the district administration said in a statement.
Vikram’s elder brother Kulwant Rana said the recovery ended the family’s anxious wait, who were praying for his safety. “The recovery of the body ended six days of anxious waiting for the family, relatives and villagers. We had been hoping for his safe rescue. Family members have not cooked food at home during the entire period, praying for his safe return.”
{{/usCountry}}Vikram’s elder brother Kulwant Rana said the recovery ended the family’s anxious wait, who were praying for his safety. “The recovery of the body ended six days of anxious waiting for the family, relatives and villagers. We had been hoping for his safe rescue. Family members have not cooked food at home during the entire period, praying for his safe return.”
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, the company executing the tunnel project at Kalladi has been directed to provide immediate as well as long-term financial assistance to the families of those killed and injured in the July 7 landslide, Kerala agriculture minister T Siddique said on Sunday.
After search operations over the past five days failed to trace Vikram, authorities launched a massive operation on Sunday involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Special Operations Group (SOG), Fire and Rescue Services, the Rapid Response Team, Forest Department personnel and youth volunteer organisations.