Indian Army, Navy and Air Force personnel and helicopters took part in search and rescue operations on Tuesday after heavy rains destroyed entire villages in the hill country. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s office Said “The entire government apparatus” was involved in overseeing and coordinating the rescue effort.
Kerala police civilian officer Amar Kabir said the death toll was expected to rise, and local disaster officials said dozens of people were still missing.
Images and videos circulating on social media showed submerged railway tracks, highways blocked by boulders and wrecked cars trapped by uprooted trees as muddy waters steadily flowed into the town and villages of Wayanad, usually the region’s tourist hub.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Said “I am saddened by the landslides that occurred in parts of Wayanad,” he said at a press conference in X, adding, “My thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones and my prayers go out to those who have been injured.”
Ratheef PS, 36, a teacher from Wayanad who is volunteering with the search and rescue effort, told The Washington Post in a phone interview that it was difficult to find the bodies because they had been swept away by floodwaters for 10 miles. He lives close to the flooding and his house is also submerged.
“We have been working since morning to rescue people and retrieve bodies, but it is not easy,” he said.
Ratheef said more than 200 houses had been washed away by the landslide and it was unclear how many people were missing. The area around Wayanad is known for its tea plantations, with many of the workers living in small settlements built on tea-producing hills. “It happened so suddenly that most of the workers could not escape. Their houses were washed away,” Ratheef said.
“If the people are not located by evening, the death toll will rise significantly,” he added.
The disaster hit a state that was hit by devastating landslides and floods in 2018. More than 400 people died and, One million people evacuated Indian opposition politicians have warned of a growing risk of landslides.
“The country has seen an alarming increase in landslides in recent times. The need of the hour is a comprehensive action plan to tackle rising natural hazards in our ecologically fragile region,” Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi said. Said Parliament on Tuesday.
Gandhi also called for an increase in and faster payment of the compensation announced by the Indian government – $2,400 each to families of flood and landslide victims and $600 to those injured.
Flood This is not uncommon in Kerala. The southwest monsoon season usually lasts from June to September.
Local media reported that Tuesday’s rains had washed away many bridges and cut off small towns and villages from the state’s highway network, complicating rescue efforts. According to Hinduism newspaperState minister Krishnankutty Rajan said authorities were flying stranded villagers and were working to build another bridge to Mundakkai village, where many are feared trapped.
India Meteorological Department Said Rains are expected to continue in Wayanad and three adjoining districts of Kerala on Tuesday.
Shams Irfan and Bryan Pietsch contributed to this report.
