Hours after Kalladi in Wayanad was rocked by a massive landslip on Tuesday, residents living near the construction site of the twin tunnel project feel a mixed sense of relief and rage. Hamza Manthikkara, who had a miraculous escape, alleged that local residents had repeatedly warned the construction company about the danger of piling up such a massive quantity of excavated soil at the site.

"We had raised concerns several times. The soil excavated during tunnel drilling was dumped over nearly 40 acres, creating an enormous artificial hill. We feared that continuous rain could trigger a collapse, but our warnings went unheeded," he said.

Hamza was waiting at the bus shelter, when the incident happened. "After crossing the nearby bridge, I suddenly heard a loud rumbling sound and turned back. At first, I saw a wave of soil rushing down. Within seconds, a large portion of the mud hill collapsed. The bus shelter where I was standing moments earlier disappeared under the mud," he recalled.

Local residents have demanded a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the disaster, alleging that inadequate disposal of excavated earth and poor safety measures may have contributed to the tragedy. Officials are yet to comment on whether the spoil heap complied with the prescribed safety and environmental norms.

Jabir Shaw who resides in front of the site told Onmanorama that there were only few around outside the construction site at the time of mudslide which reduced the toll.

According to eyewitnesses, a huge portion of the mud hill, carrying water, slush and giant boulders, broke away from the top of the spoil heap and thundered downhill like an avalanche, sweeping away everything in its path.

Within seconds, a stretch of the Meppadi–Chooralmala Road, a tiny bus waiting shed, a small mosque situated nearby and a house were buried under tonnes of mud and debris.

Several labourers, who had been engaged in clearing slush from the road to prevent vehicles from skidding, were also caught in the torrent of mud. Two of them were rescued alive from a nearby stream after being washed away by the force of the slide.

The construction company initially stated that 15 workers were missing but later revised the figure to 10 after verifying attendance records. Around a dozen excavators and an equal number of tipper lorries have been deployed to remove the enormous volume of debris.

However, progress has been painfully slow as fresh slush and boulders continue to slide intermittently from the unstable spoil heap above, posing a constant threat to rescue personnel. The company hasn't issued a statement yet.