The body of a construction manager who had gone missing in the July 7 Waynad landslide was recovered on Sunday, ending of search operations and taking the death toll to eight. The deceased, Bikram Singh Rana, worked with Dilip Buildcon and hailed from Himachal Pradesh. He was the last person reported missing after the disaster.
State minister T Siddique confirmed that the body was located about 150 metres from Meenakshi Bridge. Expressing condolences, he said the efforts of rescue personnel, officials, volunteers, and local residents — who worked in difficult conditions since the day of the incident — would be remembered.
The search resumed early Sunday morning, with teams from the Fire and Rescue Services department leading the operation. The body was discovered in a pond within a cardamom plantation near the river below the bridge after a cadaver dog indicated the location. It took nearly an hour of effort to retrieve the remains.
The body has been shifted to the mortuary at Vythiri Taluk Government Hospital. After the post-mortem examination, it will be taken to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital for embalming.
Search operations following the landslide were conducted jointly by multiple agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force, Special Operations Group, Fire and Forest departments, Rapid Response Team, and volunteer organisations. Authorities carried out extensive searches along the river, where debris had accumulated, and deployed drones to scan upstream areas. A 50-member team had conducted an intensive search for the missing worker.
Meanwhile, a five-member committee has been constituted to investigate the cause of the landslide. The panel, led by geoscientist C P Rajendran, includes experts from geology, wildlife, public works, and disaster management departments. It has been tasked with examining the cause of the disaster, assessing whether contractual conditions were followed, and reviewing environmental clearances granted for the project. The committee is expected to submit its report within a month.
All eight victims were employees of Dilip Buildcon. Earlier recoveries included Anmol Rodrai, Bikash Kumar, and Chandrabhan Pal on the first day; Imran Ansari, Rahul Sharma, and Azharuddin Ansari on Thursday and Rakesh Guchait on Friday.
Also read: Wayanad tunnel landslide victims to get ₹5 lakh ex-gratia
Follow us
