New Delhi — Massive landslides sparked by torrential rains swept away homes in hilly areas of southern India’s Kerala state on Tuesday, killing at least 60 people and leaving dozens more missing, officials said. More than 100 people were injured and admitted to regional hospitals.
Reports on Indian news outlets suggested the death toll could reach over 80.
The landslides struck several areas in Kerala’s Wayanad district early Tuesday morning, catching people off guard or as they slept.
Videos broadcast on Indian news networks showed houses, cars and even roads swept away by torrents of muddy flood water as rescue workers tried to bring people to safety. Hundreds of Indian army, air force and disaster response members were assisting in the rescue work, but several areas were cut off as many regional roads and a key bridge in the area were washed away by the floods.
Ongoing bad weather was also complicating the rescue efforts. India’s national weather office was predicting more rain for the rest of Tuesday.
Kerala government officials said at least 250 people had been rescued, but many were still missing.
“We fear hundreds of people are trapped inside the villages,” resident Raghavan Arunamala told the Reuters news agency.
Rashid Padikkalparamban, another resident who was helping with relief efforts, told Reuters there were at least three landslides in the area, starting around midnight, and that a bridge connecting two neigborhoods had been completely washed away.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan ordered the deployment of police drones and K9 units to help the search and rescue efforts.
Wayanad, a hilly district in the Western Ghats mountain range, is prone to landslides during the monsoon season. The district is home to hundreds of families who work in its tea and cardamom estates.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was saddened by the deaths and announced government relief of 200,000 Indian rupees ($2,400) for the next of kin of people killed in the disaster and 50,000 Indian rupees ($600) for the injured.
The landslides are the worst disaster to strike Kerala since 2018, when more than 350 people were killed in massive floods.
Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition Indian National Congress, urged the government to map landslide-prone areas in Kerala, noting an increase in landslides in Wayanad and the Western Ghats. In 2019, 17 people were killed when a landslide hit the district.
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