Wayanad landslide: HP engineer cremated; family alleges govt neglect

Engineer Vikram Rana, 59, who died in a Kerala landslide, was cremated in his Himachal village. His daughter alleged the Himachal govt offered no support, while the local SDM assured all possible aid. The Kerala govt has announced an ex gratia.

The mortal remains of engineer Vikram Rana, who lost his life in the Wayanad tunnel landslide, were cremated with full rites in his native village of Sarela under the Fatehpur constituency in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district on Tuesday.

Rana, 59, was working as a Project Manager with DBL Construction Company on a tunnel construction project in Kerala's Wayanad district. He was found after six days of search and rescue operations at the landslide site and was the last person reported missing in the incident.

Daughter Alleges No Support from HP Govt

His daughter, Vishakha, alleged that the family did not receive any support from the Himachal Pradesh government following the tragedy, while praising the assistance extended by the Kerala government. "We found out about it on July 7th through social media... We had actually spoken to him at 8:30 that morning, and then we learned about what had happened through social media... The Kerala government provided a lot of support, but the Himachal government offered us absolutely no support, not even 1%. Even our MLAs didn't bother to check on us," Vishakha told ANI.

Fatehpur Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Raman Sharma said the local administration met the bereaved family and assured them of all possible assistance under the existing relief provisions. "The revenue team and I met with the affected family. The cremation took place here today. The body was recovered yesterday. We will provide whatever relief is possible under our relief manual," Sharma told ANI.

Kerala Govt Announces Relief, Launches Probe

The landslide occurred on July 7 near the tunnel construction site at Kalladi in Meppadi Grama Panchayat of Wayanad district, burying a large section of the worksite under an estimated 7 to 10 feet of debris.

Meanwhile, the Kerala government has announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) for the dependents of those who lost their lives in the Kalladi Tunnel Phase-3 landslide. Financial assistance of up to Rs 2 lakh has also been sanctioned for injured persons, depending on the nature of their injuries.

The Kerala government has also constituted an expert committee to investigate the cause of the landslide, including possible violations of contractual conditions, the circumstances leading to the incident, and compliance with environmental and forest clearance norms. According to the government, tunnel construction work will resume only after the committee submits its report. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)