Dozens missing as landslide in India kills 158

The death toll from a massive landslide in the southern Indian state of Kerala has now risen to 158, while officials say more than 220 people are still missing.

Rescue workers said they were searching for survivors under collapsed roofs and the rubble of destroyed homes.

Huge floods of mud and water swept through the area early Tuesday morning, flattening homes and uprooting trees.

Heavy rain continues in the area, hampering rescue operations.

The landslide was the worst disaster to hit the state since 2018, when floods killed more than 400 people.

The disaster occurred in Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas of Wayanad district, which are surrounded by tea and cardamom plantations.

Rescue operations that were halted on Tuesday night resumed on Wednesday morning.

Images from the scene show the extent of the devastation, with uprooted trees lying across flooded streets and several homes destroyed.

A local man told news agency PTI that he saw mud-covered bodies sitting on chairs and lying on beds in one of the houses.

More than 3,000 people have been rescued and moved to 45 relief camps so far. Among those still missing are plantation workers and migrant workers living there.

Rescue operations are being carried out by the army, navy and air force along with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and police and fire brigade teams.

Photos show rescuers pulling survivors from rocks and moving them to safety. In some places, rescue teams are trying to build a makeshift bridge to reach trapped people across the swollen river.

But rescue efforts are being hampered by heavy rain and rugged terrain, making it difficult to reach victims. Landslides also destroyed vital bridges connecting remote areas.

On Tuesday evening, air force helicopters were deployed to evacuate people trapped in Mundakkai, which is isolated by the river.

In Chooralmala, the army said they used ropes to rappel across the river, which was in high water, to rescue those trapped.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the area was not prone to landslides and the sleeping villagers were taken by surprise, leading to the high number of casualties.

On Wednesday, several opposition lawmakers raised the issue in parliament and demanded that the landslide be declared a national disaster.

Rahul Gandhi, India’s opposition leader in parliament and former MP from Wayanad district, said his plans to visit the disaster-hit area were cancelled after authorities warned him that “continuous rains and adverse weather conditions” would make it difficult for him to travel.