Wayanad landslide 'man-made', caused by unscientific dumping of excavated earth: Kerala ministers

Kerala ministers T Siddique and Ramesh Chennithala on Tuesday described the landslide at the Kalladi tunnel project site in Wayanad as a "man-made disaster", alleging that it was triggered by the unscientific dumping of excavated earth rather than by natural causes.

Addressing reporters, Siddique said the injured persons admitted to WIMS Hospital were in a stable condition and asserted that the incident could not be classified as a natural landslide.

"This is not a natural landslide. It is a man-made one. It occurred due to the unscientific dumping of excavated earth," he said.

According to the minister, concerns had already been raised over the manner in which excavated earth from the tunnel project was being dumped after the district received heavy rainfall.

He said the government had earlier directed authorities to assess the situation, remove the accumulated earth and halt work if required.

"The government will examine why this happened and why the earlier directions were not followed," Siddique said.

He also alleged that excavated earth had been dumped in a similar manner at the Wayanad Township project, where houses are being built for survivors of the devastating 2024 Wayanad landslides.

Heavy rainfall, rescue efforts underway

Siddique said Wayanad recorded 256 mm of rainfall during the past 24 hours, contributing to difficult conditions for rescue personnel.

He said a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Meenangadi had reached the site, while another team from Kozhikode had also been deployed to assist the rescue operation.

Personnel from the Fire and Rescue Services had already begun rescue work before the arrival of additional disaster response teams.

The minister said the Wayanad district collector had reached the site and that Sekhar Kuriakose, chairman of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, had been asked to coordinate rescue efforts at all levels.

Authorities were also working to determine whether more people remained trapped beneath the debris.

Siddique said he and Revenue Minister A. P. Anil Kumar were travelling to Wayanad to oversee relief and rescue operations.

'Disaster could have been avoided'

Speaking separately in Kollam, Chennithala said the tragedy could have been prevented had the construction company complied with directions issued by the district administration to remove the large quantity of excavated earth from the project site.

"It is certainly a man-made disaster. If the company had removed the dumped earth, this incident would not have occurred. It is an ecologically sensitive area prone to natural disasters," he said.

He said tunnel projects in environmentally fragile regions require careful handling of excavated material and questioned why the company had failed to clear the earth despite official directions.

"The construction company should explain why the excavated earth from the tunnel project had not been cleared from the site. Anyway, it is a very unfortunate and painful incident," Chennithala said.

The minister added that rescue operations were continuing on a war footing, with all ministers closely monitoring the situation. He said those injured were receiving proper medical treatment and every effort was being made to locate those still missing.

According to details shared by the Chief Minister, one person was killed, seven were injured and seven others remained missing in the landslide at Kalladi.