Reviving memories of the 2024 disaster, a major landslide triggered by continuous heavy rainfall struck a tunnel road project site in Kerala’s Wayanad district on Tuesday, killing three people and injuring nine others. Seven more people are feared trapped under the debris, reports stated.Chief Minister VD Satheesan said the landslide occurred at Kalladi near Meppady and hit a tunnel project underway, trapping several workers. Seven of them remain missing, he said.“It is an unfortunate incident. Rescue efforts are going on,” he said. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the district.According to officials, the incident took place near Meenakshi Bridge, where work on the Anakkompoyil-Meppadi tunnel project connecting Malappuram and Wayanad districts is underway.The affected area includes workers’ accommodation as well as a few nearby houses and home-stays, they said. Continuous rainfall and unstable terrain have complicated rescue efforts, with authorities using heavy machinery to clear the debris while ensuring the safety of rescue personnel.The incident took place close to Chooralmala, one of the worst-affected areas in the devastating 2024 Wayanad landslides, once again highlighting the vulnerability of the hilly region during the monsoon.Kerala Health Minister K Muraleedharan confirmed three people lost their lives in the incident. He said the deaths occurred due to the force of the debris and assured that all hospitals in Wayanad have been instructed to provide treatment to the injured.Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister T Siddique called the disaster “man-made”, saying it was a consequence of “unscientific dumping” linked to the ongoing tunnel project.“It is a disaster perpetuated by unscientific dumping of soil and mud as part of the tunnel project. There were indications of such actions and they were raised at meetings of the Konkan officials. But it seems no corrective steps were taken,” he said.Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi said all efforts are on to rescue those still trapped in the landslide.“My deepest condolences to those who have lost precious family members, we will be by your side through this terrible time and give you every support possible. I appeal to the UDF workers, functionaries and members of the public to provide all possible support while strictly following the administration’s guidelines,” she said.The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, said Wayanad had shown remarkable resilience in the face of adversity before, and together, “we will stand by every affected family through this tragedy”.