Another body, suspected to be that of an engineer who went missing after the July 7 landslide at the tunnel project site in Kalladi, Wayanad, was recovered during a massive search operation on Sunday, officials said.
The body is suspected to be that of Vikram Rana (58), a construction manager from Thakoli-Girthan village in Fatehpur district of Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district who was associated with the tunnel project.
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The body was found about 350 meters from the Meenachil Bridge at around 11.30am during a search along the river, police said.
With the recovery of the body, the death toll from the landslide rose to eight.
Rana was the last person reported missing after the tragedy.
The landslide occurred on July 7 at the site of the Anakamboil-Meppadi Tunnel Project, which aims to connect Wayanad and Kozhikode districts.
The body will be transferred to a government hospital for medical examinations.
The police said that the identity of the deceased will be confirmed after completing the necessary procedures.
After search operations over the past five days failed to find Rana, authorities launched a large-scale operation on Sunday involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Special Operations Group (SOG), Fire and Rescue Services, Rapid Response Team, forest department staff and youth voluntary organisations.
Earlier in the day, Kerala Agriculture Minister T Siddique said the entire area from the landslide site to the mouth of the Meenakshi River has been divided into sectors, with separate teams allocated to search each area. Both banks of the river were covered.
Siddiq said teams also conducted searches in higher areas based on assessments of available video footage, including CCTV recordings, and input from workers on site.
He said the NDRF and police analyzed the footage and identified specific locations for focused searches.
Regarding the arrival of an expert team to study the disaster and remove the accumulated soil that caused the landslide, Siddiq said that it is likely to arrive at the site soon.
In view of the searches, traffic restrictions have been imposed from 8am to noon on the Meppadi-Shoralmala road.
Meanwhile, state police chief Ravada A. Chandrasekhar went to the site of the landslide and reviewed the search operation and ongoing police investigations into the incident.
He also held a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture, Al-Siddiq.
Police said that after discussions with all authorities, a decision will be made on ending the search.
The officials added that the work of removing soil and clearing the road affected by the landslide will begin soon.
