Dozens of people have died in landslides triggered by heavy monsoon rains in southern India, according to a new toll released Tuesday by authorities, who fear that hundreds of people may have been trapped under the mud.
“Thirty-six deaths have been confirmed in the landslide in Wayanad district,” said DR Meghasree, a local official. In an earlier report, Kerala state health minister Veena George had reported 24 dead. “Rescue operations are underway,” George said, quoted by the Press Trust of India agency. Other sources have already put the death toll at 49.
The armed forces said in a statement that hundreds of people may have been trapped under the mud. They added that some 225 soldiers had been sent to the Wayanad area of Kerala to support search and rescue efforts. The southern state of Kerala continues to be hit by torrential rains, complicating rescue efforts.
The incident occurred in the hilly district of Wayanad early on Tuesday, when a series of “massive avalanches” triggered by heavy rains buried several houses and destroyed a bridge. The June-September monsoon rains in South Asia bring relief from the stifling summer heat, which in some areas had exceeded 50 degrees, and recharge groundwater, but also cause death and destruction. The number of deadly floods and landslides has increased in recent years, and experts say climate change has worsened the phenomenon.
“My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones, prayers for the injured,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X. He added that he offered the head of the Kerala state government “all possible help” to deal with the situation.
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