At least 108 killed after landslides hit India’s Kerala

Hundreds of rescue workers search through mud and debris for a second day after multiple landslides hit a hilly district in India’s southern state.

Hundreds of rescue workers are searching through mud and debris from multiple landslides that have killed at least 151 people in southern India’s Kerala state, police said.

Officials on Wednesday said nearly 1,000 people have been rescued and 187 are still missing after landslides, caused by relentless monsoon rains, hit the hills of Wayanad district early Tuesday morning.

Heavy rain in one of India’s most attractive tourist destinations collapsed hillsides, sending torrents of mud, water and tumbling boulders through tea and cardamom estates and small settlements – the worst disaster in the state since deadly floods in 2018.

The Indian Army said it rescued 1,000 people and has begun the process of constructing an alternate bridge after the main bridge connecting the worst-hit Mundakkai area with the nearest town of Chooralmala was washed away.

Mundakkai is in an area highly prone to disasters. However, the gushing soil, gravel and rock reached the town of Chooralmala, 6km (3.7 miles) away.

As over 300 rescuers worked to pull out people stuck under mud and debris, but their efforts were hampered by extremely heavy rainfall, blocked roads and unstable terrain.

Local media reported that most of the victims were tea estate workers. Television footage showed rescue workers making their way through mud and uprooted trees to reach those who had been stranded.

Vehicles swept off the roads were seen stuck in a swollen river. Local TV news channels also aired phone calls of stranded people asking for help. After a day of hampered rescue operations, the weather department expects some respite on Wednesday, although the area is likely to receive rain through the day.

At least 572mm (22.5 inches) of rain fell in the two days leading up to the landslide, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a statement.

Several areas, including Meppadi, Mundakkai and Chooralmala, were isolated, and roads were washed away causing immense damage to homes, said Vijayan in a statement released by his office.

“Efforts to locate missing persons continue with all available resources,” the statement said, adding that more than 3,000 people have been moved to relief camps and the government is ensuring the delivery of food and essential items there.