At least 41 people have died and dozens more are missing after heavy rains triggered a series of landslides in India’s Kerala state and rescue operations were hampered by the collapse of a major bridge, Indian media reported.
State Forest Minister A. K. Saseendran told Reuters after the landslides in the Wayanad district of the state:
“The situation is serious. The government has pressed all agencies into rescue.”
More rain was forecast during the day.
Saseendran added that the army had been called in to build a temporary bridge after a bridge in the district connecting affected areas, mainly tea and cardamom plantations, to the nearby town of Chooralmala was destroyed.
A one-year-old child was among the dead, according to local authorities. Many are still missing and feared to have been washed away by the muddy, fast-flowing water that rushed into the area. The landslides occurred in the early morning hours as people slept in their homes.
The army and air force were mobilised to help with rescue efforts, but local village leaders said no one could be evacuated due to difficult weather conditions and dangerous terrain in the disaster area.
Indian politicians are keeping an eye on the situation in Kerala
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is reportedly monitoring the disaster and has promised to make every effort to find those still under the rubble.
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, a former MP from Wayanad, said he was “deeply shocked” by the massive landslides. Gandhi wrote in a post on X:
“I am deeply anguished by the massive landslides near Meppadi in Wayanad. My heartfelt condolences go out to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones. I hope those still trapped are brought to safety soon.”
The south Indian state of Kerala has been increasingly affected by floods and landslides caused by irregular and intense rainfall during the monsoon season.
Nearly 500 people were killed in August 2018 in severe flooding across the state due to unusually heavy rainfall, making it the worst flooding in a century.
