New Delhi, July 30 (EFE).- At least 62 people have died and hundreds remain trapped following massive landslides caused by heavy rains and flooding in the state of Kerala, in southern India, a government source told EFE on Tuesday, while rescue efforts continue.
«According to the last data, there are 62 dead,» a spokesperson of the Information and Public Relations Department of the Government of Kerala, Pratheesh D. Mony, told EFE.
A series of massive landslides caused by heavy rains occurred early Tuesday in the mountainous district of Wayanad, sweeping away houses, roads and a crucial bridge in the area.
«Right now the rescue operations are being carried by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), and soon the navy too will be arriving there. A 200-member army team is also coming,» Mony added.
Search and rescue operations have been hampered by continuous rainfall in the region.
Authorities fear that hundreds of people are trapped under mud and debris.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday declared a red alert for rain in Wayanad, as well as in other neighboring areas such as Kozhikode, warning of rainfall of up to 204 millimeters in just 24 hours.
One of the worst affected areas was Chooralmala village, which according to the regional newspaper Onmanorama was hit by three consecutive landslides early Tuesday and remains cut-off.
At least 36 of the 62 deaths recorded so far occurred in this village.
Kerala’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on X that a delegation of five state ministers had been assigned to Wayanad «to address the aftermath of the recent landslide and oversee ongoing relief efforts.»
Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he had promised «all possible help» from the central government during a telephone conversation with Vijayan.
The prime minister also announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh ($2,388) for the family members of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured in the incident.
The intense rainfall comes during the monsoon or rainy season, which in India and other South Asian countries falls between May and September and often causes significant human and material damage.
More than 50 people have died due to the rains in the northeastern state of Assam since the end of May. EFE
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