KOZHIKODE — A landslide triggered by continuous rainfall hit a hilly district in the southern Indian state of Kerala on Tuesday, killing at least two people and triggering a large-scale rescue operation, local media reported.Authorities fear several others may still be trapped beneath the debris.Citing fire and rescue officials, the Press Trust of India news agency reported that the landslide occurred near Meenakshi Bridge at Kalladi, where work on a tunnel road project connecting Malappuram and Wayanad districts was underway.Construction workers were present in the area when the incident took place, officials said.Officials added that local residents rescued at least three people from the site, where workers associated with the tunnel project were staying. Officials currently fear that around 10 people may still be trapped under the debris.PTI said a few vehicles that transport tunnel employees were also damaged in the landslide.A landslide in Wayanad in July 2024, washed away 1,500 homes in minutes, killing nearly 300 people.Police and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel have been deployed for the rescue operation.Speaking with the reporters, Kerala Revenue Minister AP Anil Kumar informed that the rescue operation has started and a team of 30 NDRF personnel reached the spot.Authorities said the area recorded 265 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, with incessant rain believed to have triggered the landslide. A few vehicles used for transporting tunnel project workers were damaged in the incident.In the wake of the landslide, Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheeshan held an emergency meeting with Agriculture Minister T. Siddique, who represents the Kalpetta assembly constituency in Wayanad district, and directed him to coordinate the rescue operations.Siddique alleged that the landslide in Wayanad was a "man-made" disaster and the result of negligence, claiming that authorities had previously warned the Konkan Railways Corporation, which is managing the road tunnel project, about the risk of a landslide at the site.He accused the railways of failing to act despite prior warnings, drawing parallels with the 2024 landslide in Wayanad that killed 298 people.Speaking to reporters, the minister said, "It is a clear case of lapse. Six people are seriously injured, and they are admitted to hospital. Their condition is stable. We will continue search and rescue at the site in Kalladi."The District Collector had given in writing to Konkan Railways regarding the chance of a landslide at the site, he said.— with input by agencies