Kerala suspends Wayanad tunnel project after deadly collapse and landslide

Kerala has suspended construction of the Wayanad twin tunnel project after a tragedy at preparatory work near the tunnel entrance killed three migrant workers and left five others missing. The decision was taken on Wednesday, a day after the incident in Wayanad, as search operations continued for the missing workers. Officials also said a landslide occurred above the construction site, adding to concerns about the safety of the area.

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After a cabinet meeting, the chief minister said the state would launch legal and technical probes into the circumstances that led to the deaths and disappearances. He said the work would remain halted until all vulnerable factors were reviewed and the project could be reassessed. The chief minister also said one inquiry would examine the cause of the tragedy, while another would look at whether the Union government's environmental clearance conditions had been followed.

The project is being implemented by the Konkan Railway Corporation. The tunnel works have been awarded to Dilip Buildcon, while Royal Construct is responsible for the approach roads and bridges. Construction of the Rs 2,400-crore scheme began last year from both ends, at Meppadi in Wayanad and Anakkampoyil in Kozhikode district.

On the Wayanad side, work had been limited to preparing the tunnel entrance, mainly through slope benching, while boring on the Kozhikode side had already crossed the 50-metre mark. The suspension comes as the project remains politically and environmentally sensitive because it cuts through the ecologically fragile and landslide-prone peaks of the Western Ghats. Supporters have presented the 8.2-km tunnel as a major connectivity project that would improve access to Wayanad and Karnataka from other parts of Kerala.