Landslide at Kalladi Tunnel Construction Site Kills Three, Traps 18
L'essentiel
- A landslide at the Kalladi tunnel construction site in Wayanad, India, has resulted in three deaths and left 18 people trapped.
- The agriculture minister described it as a man-made disaster, and Konkan Railways reportedly ignored earlier warnings.
Résumé généré par IA
Pourquoi c'est important
Three people died and 18 were trapped in a landslide at the Kalladi tunnel construction site in Wayanad, India. The agriculture minister stated this was a man-made landslide, not a natural event, and that Konkan Railways had been alerted earlier but reportedly did not act on the warning.
BENGALURU: Three people were killed and 18 others were trapped in a landslide at the Kalladi tunnel road construction area at Meppadi, in Wayanad district, on Tuesday two years after the region suffered its worst natural catastrophe.
Rescue teams pulled out several people while a few were still trapped inside debris as of press time. The landslide occurred near the Meenakshi Bridge at the Kalladi–Anakkampoyil tunnel project site, burying workers, security personnel and supervisory staff engaged in the project.
Chief Minister VD Satheesan said he was personally monitoring the situation and drafted two ministers to the district to supervise the rescue operations.
The CM blamed the tunnel road contractor for the landline.
The issue was not the Yellow Alert, which was issued as per the Centre's guidelines, but the failure to remove the soil. Safety norms must be strictly enforced in all infrastructure projects. The Government had already expressed concern over the ongoing works of the National Highway as safety standards are not being adequately followed in the construction, Satheesan said in a statement.
Agriculture minister T Siddique said it was not a natural landslide, but a man-made landslide. Six seriously injured persons have been admitted to the hospital. The district administration would continue searching and rescue at the site, he said.
The district administration, the minister added, had alerted Konkan Railways about the possibility of a landslide at the site. Two teams comprising 60 NDRF personnel from Wayanad and Kozhikode had been deployed at the site. “Konkan Railways was requested to act earlier, but they did not take any action. Such things cannot be tolerated because two years ago, 298 people lost their lives in a landslide at Mundakkai," the minister said.
Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra said all efforts were on to rescue those still trapped in the landslide. The CM was monitoring relief efforts himself, the police and NDRF have been at the site for some time, SDRF teams and civil defence volunteers have also reached.
She appealed to UDF workers 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.”
Questions ouvertes
- What specific actions were requested from Konkan Railways?
- What is the current condition of those still trapped?
- What safety measures were in place at the construction site?
