Kerala landslide at Kalladi kills 1; 7 missing, rescue operations underway

A landslide at Kalladi in Kerala killed one person, injured seven and left seven missing near a tunnel road project. Chief Minister V D Satheesan blamed contractors for ignoring directions to clear accumulated mud as rescue operations continued amid heavy rainfall

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Tuesday said that one person was killed, seven were injured, and seven others are missing in the landslide at Kalladi in this district. The landslide occurred near Meenakshi Bridge at Kalladi, where work on a tunnel road project connecting Malappuram and Wayanad districts was going on.

Satheesan, speaking to reporters here, said that the contractors had been told much in advance by the Public Works Department Minister P K Basheer and the District Collector to remove the huge quantity of mud accumulated in the area.

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“However, the contractors did not abide by the directions,” the CM said after reviewing the situation with officials of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) at their office.

“It is an unfortunate incident. Rescue efforts are going on,” he added. Responding to a question from reporters, Satheesan said that non-issuance of an appropriate weather alert was not the reason for the landslide, and it was caused due to the mud not being removed in time as directed by the authorities.

He said that necessary rescue forces are reaching the area and the police as well as fire and rescue personnel were already deployed at the site.

Additionally, a defence force was ready at Thrissur for being deployed at the site if required, he said. All the necessary systems for search and rescue will be in place as soon as possible, he assured.

He said that there was heavy rainfall in the area before the incident. Though it has reduced in intensity currently, it was creating difficulties for the rescue personnel, the chief minister added.