Wayanad: A deep pall of gloom descended on Sarela village within the Takoli-Ghirthan gram panchayat of Fatehpur subdivision in Kangra district following the recovery of the body of 58-year-old engineer Vikram Rana. Rana had been missing and trapped under debris since a massive landslide struck the Anakkampoyil-Meppadi twin-tube tunnel road construction project site at Kalladi in Wayanad, Kerala, on July 7. The tragic discovery brought a painful end to six days of agonizing waiting for his family, relatives, and fellow villagers, who had held out hope for his safe rescue. Relatives shared that the family had not cooked a single meal during the entire ordeal, spending their time in continuous prayer for his safe return, leaving the entire community devastated by the ultimate outcome.
Rana had been stationed at the project since February this year, serving as a project manager with DBL Construction Company. He was caught in the deluge when thousands of tonnes of mud and construction debris crashed down the slope near the exit portal of the highly debated infrastructure project during heavy monsoon rains. An intensive search and rescue operation was executed by a multi-agency task force comprising the National Disaster Response Force, Fire and Rescue Services, Kerala Police, and volunteers from local non-governmental organizations like Jeevan Rakshak. The team systematically divided the disaster zone and downstream riverbanks into operational sectors, eventually locating Rana’s body about 350 metres downstream from the Meenakshi bridge where iron debris and pipes had accumulated.
Promod Rana and Kulwant Rana, the brothers of the deceased project manager who had traveled to the landslide site to monitor the search efforts, confirmed that the body was retrieved around noon on Sunday. Following the completion of mandatory legal formalities and a post-mortem examination by the local authorities at the Vythiri Taluk Hospital, the mortal remains will be embalmed at the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital. The construction company will oversee the transportation logistical arrangements, and the remains are expected to arrive at Rana’s native village in Himachal Pradesh on Monday for final rites.
