Landslide Near Meenakshi Bridge Leaves Four Fatalities, Ten Injured

A powerful landslide that occurred on July 7 close to the Meenakshi bridge in the Kalladi region of Wayanad, Kerala, has resulted in four deaths and ten injuries. The slide caused the collapse of a local church and a neighboring home; the latter was locked because its occupants were away on a religious pilgrimage, sparing them from harm. Emergency services are engaged in an intensive search for four individuals still buried under massive amounts of soil and rubble. Two excavators are working continuously to clear pathways for rescuers. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress MP from Wayanad, visited the site, offered condolences to grieving families, and called on citizens to support the rescue effort fully. Chief Minister V.D. Satish is supervising the operation personally, noting that heavy rainfall and the failure of a construction firm to comply with a June 20 directive to remove soil piles contributed to the tragedy. The district recorded 226 mm of rain within 24 hours, intensifying the slide and causing a vital bridge that connects the affected communities to be buried under debris. Revenue Minister A.P. Anil Kumar and Agriculture Minister T. Siddique have been dispatched to oversee relief measures. Officials describe the incident as a man‑made disaster stemming from unscientific dumping of excavated earth, not a natural event. The rescue team continues its round‑the‑clock effort, employing heavy machinery to remove debris and locate any survivors.