Meppadi Landslide: Three Confirmed Dead, Five Still Missing as Rescue Operations Continue

Meppadi: Three deaths have been confirmed in the Meppadi landslide, Minister T Siddique announced at a press conference. The deceased have been identified as Chandrabhan from Madhya Pradesh, Bhikash Kumar from Bihar, and Anmol from Jharkhand. Those still missing are Vikram Rana, Rahul, Mohammed Imran, Rakesh and Asruddin Ansari. The minister confirmed that no Malayalis are among the victims. Search operations for the missing will continue.

Minister A P Anil Kumar said the focus at present is on leading rescue operations. The landslide at meppadi was described as severe in scale. NDRF teams from Wayanad and Kozhikode, fire force, civil defence and all other available agencies are part of the rescue effort.

The landslide occurred near the Kalladi Meenakshi bridge in the morning, following two days of heavy rain. Large quantities of mud from an excavation area near the construction site in Meppadi slid onto the road. Residents from homes in the affected area have been moved to safer locations. Vehicles were trapped and traffic disrupted following the landslide. Visuals showing the scale of the disaster have also been released.

Rescue operations led by the NDRF, police, fire force and local residents continue, though ongoing rain in the area is posing a challenge to the effort.