Dilip Buildcon Ltd. has termed the landslide at the under-construction Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi twin-tunnel project in Kerala's Wayanad as the result of exceptionally heavy monsoon rainfall, while denying any technical lapses.
In a regulatory filing on Tuesday, the infrastructure company said it is extending full cooperation to the district administration, emergency response agencies and other authorities involved in the rescue effort after the landslide struck the Meenakshi area of the project.
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The Wayanad district administration has said 18 people were affected by the incident.
Of these, three were killed, 10 are undergoing treatment at Meppadi WIMS Hospital and search operations are continuing for five others.
Authorities have also begun evacuating residents living in nearby areas as a precaution.
Citing preliminary information and data from the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, DBL 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 present at the site when the landslide occurred.
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DBL also maintained that the tunnel project is being executed in accordance with applicable engineering, safety and environmental norms, adding that it remains subject to multiple layers of regulatory oversight, including monitoring by the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee.
The statement comes after Kerala Minister T. Siddique alleged the landslide was "man-made" and linked it to construction-site negligence. DBL said it would fully cooperate with the investigation while continuing to support rescue operations and affected families.
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