Wayanad landslide: Multi-agency search enters Day 6 to trace last missing worker

Wayanad,UPDATED: Jul 12, 2026 12:19 IST

The massive search operation involving multiple agencies and volunteer groups entered its sixth day on Sunday to trace the lone person still missing after the July 7 landslide at a tunnel construction site in Kerala's Wayanad district. The disaster at the Anakkampoyil-Meppadi tunnel project has claimed seven lives so far.

The missing person has been identified as Vikram Rana, a construction manager from Himachal Pradesh. The tunnel project is aimed at connecting Wayanad and Kozhikode districts.

Kerala Agriculture Minister T Siddique said a large-scale search was under way along the Meenachil river, with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Special Operations Group, Fire and Rescue Services, Rapid Response Team, Forest Department and youth volunteer organisations involved in the operation.

Addressing reporters, Siddique said the area from the landslide site to the downstream stretches of the Meenachil River had been divided into multiple sectors, with separate teams deployed for each zone. Search teams were examining both banks of the river as part of the operation.

"There are concerns that the body could be trapped beneath the debris or covered by rocks and boulders. Therefore, a comprehensive search is being carried out simultaneously in all the identified areas," the minister said.

He added that teams were also searching the upper reaches of the site based on assessments from available video footage, including CCTV recordings, and information provided by workers present during the incident. The NDRF and police teams have analysed the footage and identified specific locations for targeted searches.

Siddique said another search operation was being conducted near a pond located upstream, where iron rods and other debris had accumulated after being swept away by the landslide.

"Officials and workers informed us that the missing person was last seen near that area. The entire debris zone is being searched thoroughly," he said.

The minister also said an expert team tasked with studying the disaster was expected to reach the site soon.

Meanwhile, traffic restrictions have been imposed on the Meppadi-Chooralmala road between 8 am and noon to facilitate the ongoing search operations. Authorities are continuing efforts to locate Rana, who remains the only person unaccounted for after the landslide.

- Ends