India, landslides in Kerala: at least 150 dead, dozens still missing, when environmental disasters do not hit the poor and the rich in the same way

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM (Kerala) (AsiaNews) – In many low-income countries, the poorest 40 percent of the population is hit by climate shocks, up to 70 percent more than the average. This is also true in rich countries, where environmental disasters do not affect different segments of the population equally. Meanwhile, the death toll from landslides that occurred yesterday morning in Kerala due to heavy rains has risen to over 150. At least 130 people were injured, while around 400 families are still stranded by debris.

Two gigantic landslides. Two massive landslides have swept across Mundakkai and Chooramala districts that lie at the foot of the Meppadi hill region. Chooramala recorded more than 140 mm of rain in the 24 hours between Monday morning and Tuesday, nearly five times more than expected, data released by the India Meteorological Department showed.

98 people are still missing. Despite a massive rescue operation that continued late into the evening, at least 98 people remain missing, mostly workers from the area’s tea and coffee plantations and internal migrants from the states of West Bengal and Assam. More people may have been trapped under collapsed buildings, rescue teams said. “We had rescued 70 people by 10 pm last night, after which we had to stop due to bad weather and rain,” National Disaster Response Force commander Akhilesh Kumar said. The extent of the damage is still unknown due to various connectivity issues.

Thousands displaced. Meanwhile, more than 3,000 people have so far been moved to camps for the displaced. Field hospitals have been set up at Chooralmala Church and inside the Polytechnic College. The Catholic Bishops’ Council of Kerala expressed its condolences to the victims and said it would work with government agencies and social organizations to speed up relief operations: “The Catholic Bishops’ Council of Kerala will cooperate fully with the government’s efforts to provide relief to the victims. We will work with diocesan teams and volunteers in the affected areas to provide assistance, comfort and courage to overcome the crisis.”

Unable to land in Kerala. The Kerala government has declared July 30 and 31 as days of national mourning. An orange alert was announced today, less severe than the red one issued in recent days by the local meteorological authorities. Even the leaders of the opposition Congress party, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who had intended to visit the families affected by the landslides, were unable to land in Kerala due to the incessant rains.

* Nirmala Carvalho – Asianews