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Wayanad landslide: Kerala forms expert committee to investigate deadly incident
The death toll in the unfortunate landslide has risen to seven, while search efforts continue for one person who remains missing
- PUBLISHED: Sat 11 Jul 2026, 1:31 PM
A five-member expert committee has been formed in Kerala to investigate , Wayanad Kalladi tunnel incident that took place on July 7, the Indian state's Chief Minister VD Satheesan announced on Saturday, revealing some of the names included in the probing body.
The announcement comes as death toll in the Wayanad landslide has risen to seven after rescue teams recovered one more body from the affected site on July 10, while the search operation continues for one person who remains missing.
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The investigative panel will be responsible for examining contract violations and environmental and forest clearance compliance. All construction works at the site are suspended until the final report is submitted. The committee, the chief minister said, includes Dr C.P. Rajendran, Dr Vishnudas, and Dr P. Pugazhendi.
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Kerala Minister T Siddique said the latest body recovered has been identified as Rajesh, a native of East Midnapore in West Bengal. The body was recovered from the Meenakshi River downstream from the landslide site and was identified by his family members.
The minister said that one person, identified as Vikram Rana, the project manager, is still missing and rescue teams are continuing intensive search operations to trace him.
Wayanad landslide
The landslide occurred on July 7, triggering a large-scale search and rescue operation in the area. Heavy machinery have been deployed to remove debris and facilitate the movement of rescue personnel. Authorities said the operation is continuing under challenging conditions as teams work to locate the missing individual.
The landslide occurred at around 11.15am on Tuesday within a 200-metre radius of the tunnel construction site at Kalladi in Meppadi Grama Panchayat, burying large portions of the worksite under debris estimated to be 7 to 10 feet deep.
According to the district administration, 18 people were caught in the landslide near the Meenakshi Bridge at the Kalladi-Anakkampoyil tunnel construction site, completely disrupting traffic on the Meppadi-Chooralmala road.
Kerala Chief Minister said the collapse at the Wayanad tunnel construction site was an "unfortunate disaster" and alleged that contractors had failed to comply with repeated directions from the authorities to remove excavated soil, even after warnings from the District Disaster Management Authority.
Reacting to the incident, Kerala Minister T Siddique alleged that the landslide at Kalladi in Wayanad was a "man-made" disaster caused by negligence, claiming that authorities had warned Konkan Railways about the risk in advance but no preventive action was taken.
(with inputs from ANI)
Yasmin Hussein is an Assistant Digital Editor who believes that every news story carries a human element. Her motto is 'get it first, but first get it right'.