HomeInternational NewsRescue Efforts Intensify in Kerala Landslide After Heavy Rains

Rescue Efforts Intensify in Kerala Landslide After Heavy Rains

Hope of finding over 180 missing persons alive in India’s Kerala state is diminishing as rescue workers continue to search through mud and debris after landslides caused by heavy rainfall. According to authorities, the disaster has claimed at least 194 lives, marking it as the worst natural disaster in this southern state since the deadly floods of 2018.

More than 5,500 individuals have been rescued from villages on the slopes, as reported by a government spokesperson. “This is one of the worst natural disasters Kerala has experienced,” stated Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the top elected official of the state.

Rescue operations remain challenging as additional rainfall hampers effective efforts in the disaster area, said Vijayan’s spokesperson, PM Manoj, to the Associated Press. Nearly 40 bodies were discovered downstream after being swept approximately 30 kilometers down the Chaliyar River from the area in Wayanad district where the primary landslides occurred. Body parts were also recovered.

Manoj reported that 187 individuals were still unaccounted for as of Thursday, with 186 others injured. Local media have reported that most of the victims were plantation workers.

Around 1,100 rescue personnel, helicopters, and heavy equipment are involved in the rescue operation. Images from the area show rescue workers navigating through muck and flooding, while an excavator removes debris.

According to reports from both The Indian Express and The Times of India, as many as 276 people have been reported dead due to the heavy rain and subsequent flooding.

Strong currents of mud and water swept through tea plantations and villages in the mountainous areas early Tuesday, flattening houses and destroying a vital bridge. Soldiers are working to complete the construction of a 58-meter-long metal bridge on Thursday to connect the hardest-hit area, Mundakkai, with the nearest town, Chooralmala, to facilitate the transportation of heavy equipment.

More than 8,300 individuals have been relocated to 82 government-run relief camps, said Manoj, with the government ensuring the delivery of food and essential supplies to these camps.

Kerala, which is one of India’s most popular tourist destinations, is prone to heavy rainfall, flooding, and landslides. The region affected by the landslides was forecasted to receive 204 mm of rain but was hit with 572 mm over a span of 48 hours, Vijayan reported earlier this week.

India has experienced extreme weather conditions in recent years, ranging from heavy rain and flooding to droughts and cyclones, which some experts believe are a consequence of climate change.

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