Three migrant workers killed, five missing after landslide at Wayanad tunnel project, India

A landslide triggered by heavy monsoon rainfall struck the under-construction Anakkampoyil–Kalladi–Meppadi tunnel road project near Kalladi in Kerala’s Wayanad district at about 11:00 LT on July 7, 2026, killing three migrant workers, injuring seven others and leaving five people missing, according to Kerala authorities. Rescue operations continued on July 8 despite persistent rainfall that hampered access to the site.

Rescue teams divided the affected area into four operational sectors as personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Kerala Fire and Rescue Services, police units and sniffer dog teams searched for workers believed to be trapped beneath mud and construction debris. Heavy monsoon rainfall continued throughout the operation, slowing excavation efforts and increasing the risk of additional slope failures.

The landslide occurred near Meenakshi Bridge beside the tunnel’s active excavation zone when a large mound of rain-soaked excavated earth collapsed, breaching a concrete retaining wall constructed to protect the work area. CCTV footage released by local media showed the debris sweeping through site barricades, carrying away a parked fuel tanker and a workers’ bus before severing the Meppadi–Chooralmala road.

Kerala authorities described the incident as a man-made disaster, alleging that large quantities of excavated material had been dumped above the construction site despite repeated warnings to remove it before the peak monsoon period. State officials said the District Collector and the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) had directed the contractor on June 20 to remove the accumulated spoil after identifying it as a landslide hazard. Agriculture Minister T. Siddique said the collapse resulted from “unscientific dumping of earth,” while the state government ordered an investigation into the incident.

Dilip Buildcon Ltd., which is constructing the project for Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL), rejected the allegations. The company said the project had been executed in accordance with approved engineering, environmental and safety standards and maintained that the slope failure originated above the active construction zone in a forested area during exceptionally heavy rainfall rather than within the engineered works.

The workers killed in the landslide were migrant labourers from Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. Police registered an unnatural death case while authorities continued efforts to locate the five missing workers. As a precaution, nearby residents and estate workers were evacuated, with 142 people from 42 families relocated to a relief camp at Meppadi Polytechnic College because of concerns that additional slope failures could threaten nearby communities.

The landslide occurred about 5 km (3.1 miles) from the sites of the catastrophic Mundakkai and Chooralmala landslides of July 2024, renewing scrutiny of major infrastructure projects in the landslide-prone Western Ghats during the southwest monsoon. Environmental groups and local residents have renewed calls for an independent geological assessment of the twin-tunnel project before construction resumes.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) maintained a red alert for Wayanad and neighbouring Kozhikode districts as heavy monsoon rainfall persisted. Rescue officials said adverse weather remained the principal obstacle to search operations and warned that saturated ground conditions continued to increase the risk of additional slope failures in the affected area.

References:

¹ Three migrant workers dead, seven missing after major landslide hits Wayanad tunnel project site – The New Indian Express – July 7, 2026

2 Wayanad Landslide Death Toll Rises to Three; Five Migrant Workers Still Missing – The Quint – July 8, 2026

3 Rescuers search for 5 missing people after a deadly landslide in India’s Kerala state – Associated Press – July 8, 2026

⁴ ‘Man-made disaster’: Kerala govt blames ‘unscientific dumping’ after Wayanad landslip kills 3 – The Times of India – July 8, 2026

Featured image credit: PTI

Reet Kaur

I’m a science journalist and researcher at The Watchers, contributing to the Epicenter edition, where I cover peer-reviewed scientific research and emerging discoveries across Earth and space sciences. With a background in astronomy and a passion for environmental science, I’ve worked in shark and coral conservation in Fiji, conducting reef and shark-behavior research, contributing to mangrove restoration, and earning PADI Open Water and Coral Reef Certifications. I bring a blend of scientific rigor and storytelling to illuminate the discoveries shaping our planet and beyond.

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