Rescue personnel carrying out search and recovery operations at the site of the debris slip in Wayanad district on Thursday (July 9, 2026). Rescue operations entered the third day after the incident.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Search and rescue teams on Thursday (July 9, 2026) recovered two bodies from the site of the devastating debris collapse in Kerala’s Wayanad, bringing the confirmed death toll to five so far.
The recovery was made during the third day of intensive operations following Tuesday’s disaster near the Meenakshi Bridge at Kalladi, where heavy, relentless rainfall triggered a severe soil piping incident and a massive collapse of earth at the construction site of the proposed Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi twin-tube tunnel road.
Authorities confirmed that the one of the bodies was pulled from zone 1 of the disaster site, and the other from the riverside.
Officials are working out the modalities to formally identify the deceased.
At present, three persons still remain missing, with National Disaster Response Force personnel, State Fire and Rescue Services, and local authorities focusing their rescue efforts on zones 1 and 2, along with the adjacent riverbed.
Meanwhile, seven injured workers are still receiving treatment at a hospital, with several remaining in intensive care.
The State government has strongly criticised the handling of the project, describing the tragedy as a “man-made disaster” and alleging that unscientific, hazardous mud accumulation by contractors worsened the impact of the debris slip.
The police have officially registered a case of unnatural death, and the State Cabinet has ordered two separate high-level inquiries to investigate potential safety violations and ensure strict compliance with environmental clearances.
Published – July 09, 2026 09:50 am IST
