New Delhi, Jul. 30, (dpa/GNA) – Deadly landslides in the southern Indian state of Kerala on Tuesday have left at least 106 people dead, with the toll expected to rise as rescue workers and sniffer dogs continue to search among the debris of destroyed homes.
Local hospitals were treating at least 125 injured people, figures from the state showed. Around 100 having been rescued so far, said Kerala Health Minister Veena George. About 250 people are still stranded.
The massive landslides in the hilly district of Wayanad took place in the early hours, catching sleeping villagers unaware.
Videos from the scene showed uprooted trees, destroyed buildings, stranded vehicles and vast muddy streams flowing through a once picturesque wooded area.
The Indian military is on the scene, helping local emergency response and the National Disaster Response Force.
A temporary hospital is being set up in the affected area to provide basic treatment and stabilize injured people before they are sent to other hospitals, George said.
However, inclement weather and continuous rains have made rescue work extremely difficult, with roads to the village of Mundakkai cut off after a key bridge was swept away and helicopters unable to land.
Footage showed army personnel rappelling across fast-flowing muddy streams to rescue stranded survivors.
The weather office has forecast heavy rain in the area for the next 24 hours.
Officials fear the death toll could rise as hundreds of people living in the affected villages were still unaccounted for.
Scores of migrant workers employed at tea, coffee and cardamom plantations in the area are not contactable, local news portal Malayalam Manorama reported. Mobile networks in the area are not working.
The area is also a popular tourist destination, with around 100 tourists stranded at one resort, according to George.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “distressed” by the landslides.
“My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones and prayers with those injured,” he wrote on social media platform X.
“Rescue ops are currently under way to assist all those affected,” he added.
Modi also announced compensation of 200,000 rupees ($2,387) to the kin of victims and 50,000 rupees for each of the injured.
Rahul Gandhi, the opposition leader in parliament, said the landslides showed the need for a plan.
“Our country has witnessed an alarming rise in landslides in recent years. The need of the hour is a comprehensive action plan to address the growing frequency of natural calamities in our ecologically fragile regions.”
Gandhi, who used to represent Wayanad, is scheduled to visit the area on Wednesday.
India’s seasonal monsoon rains from June to September bring welcome relief for farmers but often also leave a trail of death and destruction.
GNA