Three Dead, Five Missing in Kerala Landslide Near Tunnel Project Site

A wild elephant fell into a well in the Malayattoor area of Ernakulam district; a bus transporting workers to the site in Wayanad plunged into the river.

WAYANAD: Three migrant workers were killed and five others are missing after a massive landslip struck the construction site of the Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi twin tunnel road at Kalladi, Kerala, on Tuesday morning. The tragedy occurred barely weeks before the second anniversary of the MundakkaiChooralmala landslide disaster, at a location just 5km from the 2024 catastrophic landslide that had left 298 persons dead. Kerala govt described the incident as a man-made disaster, blaming the unscientific dumping of excavated soil at the project site, while the contracting firm maintained that the slide originated from outside the tunnel construction area. Although govt said the mishap was caused by the collapse of huge mounds of excavated earth that had been piled at the site, visuals from the scene suggested the mudslide was triggered by a landslip on the hillside adjacent to the area where the company had carried out slope cutting and stabilised it with cement plastering. Following incessant rain, more than 200 mm over the last 24 hours, the slope suddenly gave way with a deafening roar. A massive torrent of mud and debris thundered downhill towards Meenakshi Bridge, over the Meenakshi river, swallowing the workers, vehicles and machinery in its path.

Tunnel project cuts via one of Kerala’s most landslide-prone mountain range

A mosque prayer hall near the bridge was washed away completely. The nearby house of Ashraf Pulikkalath was partially destroyed, though all three occupants escaped unharmed. A bus transporting workers to the construction site and a tanker truck were swept away by the force of the mudslide. The bus plunged into the river, while the tanker was dragged several metres along the road. The deceased are Chandraban, an equipment operator from Madhya Pradesh, Bikash Kumar, a civil foreman from Bihar, and Anmol, a worker from Jharkhand. Several local residents survived by running to safety moments before the avalanche of mud engulfed the area. A total of 18 people were caught in the mudslide. 10 sustained injuries, of whom five are undergoing treatment at WIMS Hospital in Meppadi. Two of them are in the ICU, with one reported to be in critical condition. Three injured persons have been discharged. The search for the missing continued late into the evening. The mudslide completely severed the Meppadi Chooralmala road, cutting off Kalladi, Puthumala, Elavayal, Chooralmala, Neelikkappu and Attamala beyond Meenakshi Bridge. Rescue teams took several hours to reopen the route using heavy earth-moving machinery. Siddique said the bodies of the deceased would be airlifted to their native places. Describing the incident as a“man- made”, Siddique said, “This is not a natural landslide. It is a mudslide caused by the unscientific piling up of excavated earth. During a meeting attended by Konkan Railway officials, we had warned about the danger posed by the huge mound of excavated soil and directed that it be removed. Those directions were not complied with. Govt will examine why they were ignored.” However, officials associated with the project gave a different assessment. “The slide originated outside the tunnel area. It came from the extreme left edge above the tunnel. The slope suddenly failed and within three to four seconds the debris reached Meenakshi Bridge,” Gulzar, an assistant engineer at the project site, told reporters. The 8.2-km, Rs 2,134-crore Anakkampoyil–Kalladi–Meppadi twin-tunnel project, cutting through the Vellarimala mountain range to connect Kozhikode and Wayanad districts, is among Kerala’s biggest infrastructure projects. Financed by KIIFB, the project is being executed by Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd, with Bhopal-based Dilip Buildcon carrying out construction work. Environmentalists had raised concern at having the tunnel road project go through one of Kerala’s most landslide prone mountain ranges. The Supreme Court had in April 2026 declined to halt the project, dismissing petitions citing environmental concerns. The bench had said the corridor was a project of “national importance” and alifeline for Kerala.