Dilip Buildcon Ltd. has attributed the landslide at the under-construction Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi twin-tunnel project in Kerala's Wayanad to exceptionally heavy monsoon rainfall, while denying any technical lapses.
In a regulatory filing on Tuesday, the infrastructure company said it is fully cooperating with the district administration, emergency response agencies and other authorities involved in rescue operations following the landslide at the Meenakshi section of the project.
According to the Wayanad district administration, 18 people were affected by the incident. Three people died, 10 are undergoing treatment at Meppadi WIMS Hospital, and search operations are continuing for five others. Authorities have also begun evacuating residents living nearby as a precaution.
Citing preliminary information and data from the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, the company said Wayanad received nearly 265 mm of rainfall in the previous 24 hours, the highest single-day rainfall recorded in the district this monsoon and around nine to ten times the average daily rainfall for July.
The company expressed condolences to the families of those affected and said it is assisting authorities in identifying and accounting for all personnel who were at the site when the landslide occurred.
Dilip Buildcon maintained that the tunnel project is being executed in accordance with applicable engineering, safety, and environmental standards. It added that the project is subject to multiple layers of regulatory oversight, including monitoring by the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee.
The statement came after Kerala Minister T. Siddique alleged the landslide was "man-made" and linked it to negligence at the construction site. The company said it would fully cooperate with the official investigation while continuing to support rescue operations and the affected families.