Five killed in mudslide near Wayanad tunnel project, ministers calls it ‘man-made disaster’
Screengrab from a viral video showing the massive mudslide in Kerala's Wayanad district.
New Delhi: A massive mudslide struck the Kozhikode-Wayanad tunnel project in Kerala’s Wayanad district on Tuesday, after heavy monsoon rain. At least five people were killed, 10 others injured and several more remained missing under the debris.
The hillside collapsed near the under-construction Kozhikode-Wayanad twin-tunnel project, sweeping vehicles downhill, including a fuel tanker that was carried nearly 30 metres down the slope. Several other vehicles were buried or washed away. A bridge connecting the area was buried under debris, making it harder for rescue teams to reach the site.
A multi-agency operation involving the Kerala State Disaster Response Force (KSDRF), fire and rescue services, police, local authorities and volunteers has been underway since the mudslide struck. Rescue teams continue to search for those trapped beneath the debris despite persistent rainfall and unstable terrain, with heavy machinery being used to clear mud and restore access to the site.
Kerala’s minister for agriculture, T Siddique, described the incident as a possible “man-made disaster”, arguing that extensive hill cutting, excavation and construction associated with the tunnel project should be investigated to determine whether they contributed to the slope failure.
The chief minister of Kerala, VD Satheesan, is monitoring the rescue operations. Wayanad’s MP, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, said all possible efforts are being made to rescue those trapped, with the help of state agencies working in coordination.
Wayanad has a long history of deadly landslides. The catastrophic July 30, 2024 disaster killed 298 people and affected an area of about 86,000 square metres. Earlier major incidents include the Valamthode landslide in 2007, which left four dead, the Kappikkalam landslide in 1992, which killed 11 people, and the Mundakkai debris flow in 1984, which claimed 14 lives.
Landslide hazards are a nationwide concern too. India ranks among the world’s five most landslide-prone countries, with about 0.42 million square kilometres, or 12.6 per cent of its land area, vulnerable to such disasters.
The disaster has reignited concerns over infrastructure development in the ecologically fragile Western Ghats, with questions being raised over whether construction activities may have worsened the impact of the landslide. Search operations for the missing are continuing, alongside checks on the structural safety of the tunnel project and surrounding slopes.
