Wayanad Landslide: BJP Demands Accountability, Says Government 'Can't Blame Contractor and Escape'

BJP's state president, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, has called the Wayanad landslide a man-made disaster, blaming it on unscientific soil dumping. The police have now filed a case, and NDRF teams are on the ground, carrying out rescue operations.

Thiruvananthapuram: BJP's state president and Nemom MLA, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, has called the deadly landslide in Wayanad 'extremely painful'. In a Facebook post, he offered his heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their loved ones and prayed for the quick recovery of the injured. "The government itself has now admitted that dumping massive amounts of soil unscientifically caused this huge disaster," he said. "But the government and the Public Works Department can't just blame a contractor and wash their hands of this."

He questioned the role of the officials and the administration who were supposed to be supervising the work. "People's safety must be the top priority for any development project. We can't let more lives be lost because of such criminal negligence," he added. Chandrasekhar demanded that the people responsible for this tragedy must be identified quickly and face strict, exemplary action.

Police File Case

Meanwhile, the Meppadi police have registered a case in connection with the landslide. This comes after criticism, including from the Chief Minister, that the disaster at Kalladi bridge was man-made. The accident was reportedly caused because the soil wasn't removed even after the District Collector had asked for it. So far, five people have died in the landslide, and three are still missing. As a precaution, 21 families from the Meenakshi Estate have been shifted to a relief camp at the Chulikka GLP School, where they are currently staying.

The death toll from the Kalladi landslide has now reached five. Rescue operations are going on at a war-footing. Two teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), with a total of 70 personnel, are leading the search. Their main focus is to find anyone trapped under the debris as fast as possible and rescue them alive. Currently, six injured people are being treated at a hospital.