Landslides caused by heavy rains kill dozens of people in Kerala, India | Weather News

Landslides in southern India triggered by torrential monsoon rains have killed dozens of people, officials said, and hundreds more are believed to be trapped under mud and debris.

The southern coastal state of Kerala was hit by heavy rains and the collapse of a key bridge at the accident site in Wayanad district hampered rescue efforts, according to local media reports.

Prime Minister Manoj, press secretary to the Chief Minister of Kerala, said at least 49 people had died in the landslides so far, while district collector DR Meghasree spoke of 45 deaths and local media reported 66 fatalities.

Images released by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) show rescue teams trudging through the mud to search for survivors and carrying bodies out of the area on stretchers.

Houses were caked with brown mud as the force of the landslide scattered cars, corrugated iron and other debris around the accident site.

The Indian Army said it had deployed over 200 troops to the area to assist state security forces and firefighters in search and rescue operations.

“Hundreds of people are believed to be trapped,” it said in a statement.

More rainfall and stronger winds are forecast for Kerala on Tuesday, the state’s disaster management authority said.

The number of deadly floods and landslides has increased in recent years, and experts say climate change is exacerbating the problem.

Dam, deforestation and development projects have further increased the death toll in India.

In 2018, nearly 500 people were killed across Kerala in the worst floods in nearly a century.

The worst landslide in India in recent decades occurred in 1998. At that time, a rockslide triggered by heavy monsoon rains killed at least 220 people and completely buried the small village of Malpa in the Himalayas.