About 45 people have died and dozens more are believed to be trapped after heavy rains triggered massive landslides in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
Landslides occurred in hilly areas of Wayanad district early Tuesday morning.
Rescue operations are underway, but are being hampered by heavy rain and the collapse of a key bridge.
“We will only be able to assess the extent of the damage in a few hours,” Minister AK Saseendran told BBC Hindi.
State Health Minister Veena George said local hospitals were treating at least 70 injured people. About 101 people have been rescued so far.
District police chief Dr Meghasree told reporters that apart from the 36 confirmed deaths in Wayanad, nine bodies were found floating down the Chaliyar river into neighbouring Malappuram district.
Wayanad, a hilly district in the Western Ghats, is prone to landslides during the monsoon season.
Landslides occurred in several areas of the district, including Mundakkai, Attamala, Chooralmala and Kunhome.
Videos on social media showed muddy water rushing through unpaved streets and forested areas, sweeping away homes and trapping people and vehicles.
A bridge connecting Chooralmala with Mundakkai and Attamala collapsed, isolating the two places and making it difficult for rescuers to reach trapped families.
Rashid Padikkalparamban, a resident, told Reuters news agency that at least three landslides occurred in the area around midnight, washing away the bridge.
State and national disaster relief teams are conducting rescue operations and the military is expected to arrive in the area soon. Some locals have also helped.
Mr Saseendran also said the army and air force had been asked to airlift stranded families and erect a temporary bridge.
Raghavan C Arunamala, a local resident, described the horrific scene that unfolded in the area.
“I saw a man trapped in the rubble calling for help. Firefighters and rescue workers have been trying to reach him for the past few hours,” he said.
“We fear that hundreds of people are trapped inside the villages,” he added.
Wayanad district and adjoining areas are on alert due to forecast of heavy rain.
Schools and colleges have been closed in 10 of the 14 districts.
In 2019, 17 people were killed after a landslide occurred in Puthumala in Wayanad, about 10km from the currently affected area.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he spoke to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and assured the federal government of support for the relief efforts.
Mr Modi also announced compensation of 200,000 rupees ($2,388; £1,857) to the families of the victims and 50,000 rupees to those injured.
