Death Toll From Kerala Landslide Rises to Six in Southern India

Death Toll From Kerala Landslide Rises to Six in Southern India
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The death toll from a landslide in India’s southern Kerala state has risen to six, officials said on Thursday, after three more bodies were recovered from the site.

Kerala Minister A.P. Anil Kumar said search operations are continuing for two people still missing. At least 10 people were injured in the incident, including three who remain in critical condition.

The landslide occurred on Tuesday at the Anakkompoyil-Meppadi tunnel project site, which is intended to connect Wayanad and Kozhikode districts in Kerala.

According to the state-run Press Trust of India, the three bodies recovered most recently were identified as migrant workers.

Reports said the Kerala government had issued two warnings between June 20 and 25 to the project contractor, instructing that soil piled up from tunnelling work be removed from the site. The contractor was also asked to temporarily stop work near the Meenakshi area of Wayanad district until the soil was cleared.

Local media said the incident has raised concerns over the risks of infrastructure development in ecologically fragile areas, as well as questions over regulatory oversight and safety measures.

Kerala is also working on a pilot project to forecast and monitor landslide risks in vulnerable areas by analyzing real-time rainfall data alongside the topographical susceptibility of the terrain.