Kalpetta: Dileep Buildcon Ltd., one of the contractors executing the Kozhikode–Wayanad twin tunnel project, has claimed that the company had taken all prescribed safety measures to protect the project site.

Addressing reporters at Kalladi on Wednesday, the company's representative Sebastian said the excavated soil generated during tunnel drilling had been stored in accordance with safety guidelines. According to him, the dumped soil was properly covered and secured with protective nailing, while adequate arrangements had been made to prevent water seepage. He also claimed that an effective drainage system had been put in place to prevent the accumulation of rainwater around the dumping area.

Rejecting allegations that improper dumping of excavated soil had contributed to the disaster, Sebastian suggested that the mudslide was triggered by heavy rainfall. He claimed that the point from which the landslide originated was not within the company's work site but about 12 metres uphill, inside adjoining forest land that is outside the company's jurisdiction.

"The company has no authority to undertake protective works in the forest area. All excavated soil from the tunnel project was scientifically stored and properly protected," he said.

Earlier, in an official statement, Dileep Buildcon said it was extending full cooperation to the district administration and all agencies engaged in the rescue operation. The company stated that all available machinery, equipment and manpower had been deployed to assist the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Fire and Rescue Services and other rescue teams at the site.

The company said its immediate priority was to support the ongoing search and rescue mission and ensure the safety of all personnel at the project site. Senior officials of the company are camping at the site and coordinating rescue efforts with the district administration and other authorities.

Expressing grief over the death of its employees, the company conveyed its condolences to the bereaved families and assured that every possible assistance would be extended to the families of the deceased as well as to those injured in the incident.

Dileep Buildcon also stated that it would fully cooperate with any investigation into the disaster and abide by the findings of the competent authorities. It maintained that the exact cause of the mudslide could be established only after a comprehensive scientific and technical investigation.