At least two persons were killed in a landslide at a site of road tunnel project in the Kelladi area of Kerala’s Wayanad district on Tuesday, ANI reported.

The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority said that the debris accumulated during excavation of the Wayanad-Kelladi tunnel slid down after heavy rainfall.

Seven persons are missing and seven others have been rescued, ANI quoted Chief Minister VD Satheesan as saying.

The chief minister said that the soil excavated during the construction work should have been removed. He claimed that the contractors did not obey the orders of the Public Works Department Minister PK Basheer and collector to clear the mud accumulated in the area, The New Indian Express reported.

“The problem is this piled-up soil,” ANI quoted Satheesan as saying. “It was known that if it rained, it would lead to an accident.”

The region received around 225 mm of rainfall in 24 hours, the chief minister added.

Several more persons are feared trapped under the debris, ANI reported.

Personnel from the police and the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed for rescue efforts.

Videos shared on social media showed debris gushing towards bystanders near the site of the landslide.

Since Monday, Wayanad, Malappuram, Udukki and Palakkad districts have been receiving rainfall due to the strengthening of westerly winds, ANI quoted India Meteorological Department scientist Neetha K Gopal as saying.

“Yesterday night, the rain picked up, and Wayanad received extremely heavy rainfall,” she was quoted as saying. “The wind is expected to remain strong. We have issued a ‘red’ alert for Wayanad and Calicut districts today.”

Wayanad MP and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra offered condolences to the family of those who died in the landslide.

“I appeal to the [workers of the ruling alliance in the state]...members of the public to provide all possible support while strictly following the administration’s guidelines,” Vadra said in a social media post. “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.”

In July 2024, more than 400 persons were killed after heavy rain triggered two landslides in Wayanad.

Edited by Tanya Shrivastava.