Wayanad landslide: Missing construction manager's body recovered, death toll rises to eight

Rescue teams on Sunday, July 12, recovered the body of the last missing person from the site of the July 7 landslide at the Anakkampoyil-Meppadi tunnel project in Kerala's Wayanad district, taking the death toll in the tragedy to eight.

The deceased was identified as Vikram Rana (58), the construction manager associated with the tunnel project and a native of Thakoli-Girthan village in the Fatehpur subdivision of Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district.

Officials said Rana's body was found around 350 metres downstream of the Meenakshi Bridge, where iron debris had accumulated following the landslide. The recovery was made during an extensive search operation along the river at around 11.30 am.

His relatives identified the body, which was shifted to Vythiri Taluk Hospital for post-mortem examination. It will later be taken to the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital for embalming before being transported to his native village.

The landslide struck on July 7 at the site of the Anakkampoyil-Meppadi twin-tube tunnel project, a key infrastructure project aimed at improving connectivity between Wayanad and Kozhikode districts.

After five days of unsuccessful search efforts, authorities launched a large-scale operation on Sunday involving personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Special Operations Group (SOG), Kerala Fire and Rescue Services, the Rapid Response Team, the Forest Department, and youth volunteer organisations.

Kerala Agriculture Minister P. Prasad Siddique said the stretch from the landslide site to the downstream reaches of the Meenakshi River had been divided into multiple sectors, with dedicated teams deployed to search both riverbanks. Authorities also examined CCTV footage and other video recordings, along with inputs from workers at the site, to identify potential search locations.

State Police Chief Ravada A. Chandrasekhar visited the site on Sunday to review the rescue operation and the ongoing police investigation. He also held discussions with the agriculture minister and other officials.

Police said a decision on concluding the search operation would be taken after consultations with all agencies involved. Authorities also indicated that work to remove the accumulated debris and restore the affected road would begin soon.

Traffic restrictions remain in force on the Meppadi-Chooralmala road between 8 am and noon to facilitate the search and recovery operations.