More than 100 killed in India landslides

NEW DELHI — Multiple landslides triggered by torrential rains in southern India have killed more than 100 people, and many others are feared trapped under the debris, local authorities said on Tuesday.

The landslides hit hilly villages in Kerala state's Wayanad district early on 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 because of blocked roads and unstable terrain.

At least 106 people were killed in the landslides, 128 injured and dozens unaccounted for, state authorities said on Tuesday evening. Local Asianet TV put the death toll higher at 120.

Television visuals showed rescue workers making their way through rocks and uprooted trees as muddy water gushed through, with many houses destroyed. Vehicles swept off the roads were seen stuck in a swollen river.

Authorities mobilized helicopters to help with the rescue efforts and the Indian army was called upon to build a temporary bridge after landslides destroyed a main bridge that linked the affected area.

"We are trying every way to rescue our people," state Health Minister Veena George said.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "distressed by the landslides in parts of Wayanad", a hilly district which is part of the Western Ghats mountain range.

Modi announced a compensation of $2,388 to each of the victims' families.

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 of rain in the past 24 hours. Downpours have disrupted life for many, and authorities closed schools in some parts on Tuesday. More rains were predicted throughout the day.

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.

"Monsoon patterns are increasingly erratic and the quantum of rainfall that we receive in a short spell of time has increased," said Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. "As a result, we see frequent instances of landslides and floods along the Western Ghats."

Agencies via Xinhua