Wayanad: As the search for the person who went missing in the landslide at Kalladi in Wayanad entered its sixth day, one more body was recovered from the site on Sunday. The body is suspected to be that of Vikram Rana (58), a construction manager from Thakoli-Girthan village in the Fatehpur subdivision of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh, who was associated with the tunnel project.
The body was found around 350 metres downstream of the Meenachil bridge at around 11.30 am during a search operation along the river, police said.
With the recovery of the body, the death toll in the landslide has risen to eight.
Rana was the last person reported missing after the tragedy.
The landslide occurred on July 7 at the site of the Anakkampoyil-Meppadi tunnel project, which is intended to connect the Wayanad and Kozhikode districts.
The body will be shifted to a government hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Police said the identity of the deceased would be confirmed after the completion of the necessary procedures.
After search operations over the past five days failed to trace Rana, authorities launched a massive operation on Sunday involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Special Operations Group (SOG), Fire and Rescue Services, the Rapid Response Team, Forest Department personnel and youth volunteer organisations.
Earlier in the day, Kerala Agriculture Minister T Siddique said the entire stretch from the landslide site to the downstream reaches of the Meenachil River had been divided into sectors, with separate teams assigned to search each area. Both riverbanks were being covered.
Siddique said teams also conducted searches in the upper reaches based on assessments of available video footage, including CCTV recordings, and inputs from workers at the site.
He said the NDRF and the police had analysed the footage and identified specific locations for focused searches.
On the expert team's arrival to study the disaster and oversee the removal of the accumulated earth that caused the landslide, Siddique said it was likely to reach the site soon.
In view of the search operations, traffic restrictions are in place from 8 am to noon on the Meppadi–Chooralmala road.
Meanwhile, State Police Chief Ravada A Chandrasekhar reached the landslide site and reviewed the search operation and the ongoing police investigation into the incident.
He also held a meeting with Agriculture Minister Siddique.
Police said that after discussions with all the authorities, a decision on concluding the search operation would be taken.
The removal of earth and work to clear the road, which was affected by the landslide, will also commence soon, officials added.
