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 Kozhikode 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.

"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.

Congress MP from Wayanad Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that all efforts are on to rescue those still trapped in the landslide.

In a post on X, Vadra said that CM Satheesan was monitoring the relief efforts himself and everyone was coordinating with the District administration, ministers T Siddique and AP Anil Kumar, who are on their way from Thiruvananthapuram, local party functionaries and concerned authorities.

She further said that the police and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been at the site for some time and the State Disaster Response Force teams and civil defence volunteers have also reached the area.

"My deepest condolences to those who have lost precious family members. We will be by your side through this terrible time and give you every support possible.

"Our prayers and hope for those who have still not been found; may they stay strong while rescue efforts attempt to reach them and may their loved ones who wait for them have courage at this painful moment," she said in her post.

She also appealed to UDF workers, functionaries 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," the Congress MP said.

Earlier, while speaking to the reporters, Satheesan also raised concerns about safety measures or precautions not being in place in connection with national highway construction work going on in the state.

He said that even before the monsoons, the state government had informed those undertaking the highway construction work about possible problems due to the rains.

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He said that meetings were convened with district collectors and directions were given for them to monitor the work, following which they visited the construction sites.

"We have already raised the concern that necessary safety measures and precautions are not being taken regarding the highway construction work," he contended.