New Delhi : Multiple landslides triggered by torrential rains in southern India have killed 70 people, and many others are feared trapped under the debris, officials said Tuesday, with rescue operations being hampered by bad weather.
The landslides hit hilly villages in Kerala state’s Wayanad district early Tuesday and destroyed many houses and a bridge, but authorities have yet to determine the full scope of the disaster. Rescuers were working to pull out people stuck under mud and debris, but their efforts were hampered by blocked roads and unstable terrain.
P M Manoj, press secretary to the Kerala chief minister, said the landslides had killed at least 70 people so far.
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.
Authorities mobilized helicopters to help with rescue efforts and the Indian army was roped in to build a temporary bridge after landslides destroyed a main bridge that linked the affected area.
Kerala, one of India’s most popular tourist destinations, is prone to heavy rains, flooding and landslides. Nearly 500 people were killed in the state in 2018 in one of the worst floods.
The Indian Meteorological Department said the state has had heavy rainfall over its northern and central regions, with Wayanad district recording up to 28 centimeters (11 inches) of rain in the past 24 hours.
India regularly has severe floods during the monsoon season, which runs between June and September and brings most of South Asia’s annual rainfall. The rains are crucial for rain-fed crops planted during the season, but often cause extensive damage.
