The Kerala government has ordered a detailed investigation into the devastating landslide at the Kalladi tunnel construction site in Wayanad that killed at least four people, injured nine others and left six workers missing. Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Wednesday said that authorities would examine whether construction agencies had complied with all government and central guidelines before deciding on further action.
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CM Announces Aid
Addressing a press conference after reviewing the situation, the Chief Minister said the state would provide ₹5 lakh as compensation to the families of those killed in the tragedy. He also assured that the government would coordinate with authorities to transport the bodies of victims to their home states.
“We will study in detail what happened and what caused the landslide. We will also verify whether the conditions and directions issued by the government and the Centre for the project were followed,” Satheesan said.
Landslide Strikes Kalladi Tunnel Project
The landslide struck the Kalladi tunnel road project near Meenakshi Bridge in the Meppadi region on Tuesday, burying workers and machinery under a massive pile of earth and debris. According to the Wayanad Public Relations Department, the collapse occurred when a large quantity of excavated soil from the tunnel construction site gave way and crashed onto the work area.
Police have registered a case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with unnatural deaths. Rescue teams from the police, Fire and Rescue Services, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), district administration and local volunteers have been working round the clock to locate the missing workers.
The Chief Minister said the road leading to the site had been cleared, but rescue personnel were still unable to trace those trapped beneath the debris.
Wayanad Landslide A Man-Made Disaster?
Responding to claims by Minister T Siddique that the incident was a “man-made disaster”, Satheesan said all aspects would be examined during the investigation. “We have come to know that a landslide occurred. The fact that the excavated soil had not been removed appears to have worsened the impact,” he said.
Authorities have identified three of the deceased as Chandraban from Madhya Pradesh, Bikash Kumar from Bihar and Anmol from Jharkhand. A fourth victim has also been confirmed dead.
Govt Announces New Public Portal
The tragedy has renewed concerns over safety standards at large infrastructure projects in Kerala. The state government has also announced plans to launch a public portal that will allow citizens to monitor the progress of government projects and track work undertaken by multiple departments over a 100-day period.