Wayanad (Kerala): At least four workers were killed, several others were injured and four remained missing after a massive landslide struck the under-construction Anakkampoyil–Kalladi tunnel road project near Meenakshi Bridge in Kalladi, Meppady, in Kerala's Wayanad district on Tuesday.

The landslide, triggered amid incessant monsoon rainfall, buried workers, heavy machinery and vehicles under tonnes of mud and debris, prompting a large-scale rescue operation.
The incident occurred at the Wayanad portal of the twin-tunnel project connecting Kozhikode and Wayanad districts. CCTV footage from the construction site captured the moment a large section of the hillside collapsed, sweeping away a fuel tanker and other vehicles within seconds. Several workers managed to escape, while others were trapped beneath the debris.

Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Kerala Fire and Rescue Services, police, district administration and health department launched rescue operations immediately after the collapse. Excavators and other heavy earth-moving equipment were deployed to remove debris, but continuous rain, unstable terrain and the risk of fresh landslides slowed the search for those still missing.

Authorities shifted the injured to nearby hospitals, while senior district officials continued to monitor the rescue efforts at the site. The state government directed all concerned departments to extend full support to the rescue operation and ensure immediate medical assistance for the injured.

Officials said the casualty figure could increase as rescue teams continue to search the debris.

The landslide has once again highlighted the vulnerability of the ecologically sensitive Wayanad region during the southwest monsoon. The accident occurred just a few kilometres from Chooralmala and Mundakkai, where catastrophic landslides in July 2024 claimed hundreds of lives, making it one of Kerala's worst natural disasters in recent history.