Landslides in Kerala: at least 150 dead, still dozens missing

Two landslides caused by heavy rains have swept through districts in the hilly region of Meppadi. Among the people missing are many tea growers. Field hospitals have been set up in a church and the local university. The Catholic Bishops' Conference is working with government agencies to speed up relief operations.

Thiruvananthapuram (AsiaNews) - The death toll has risen to over 150 from the landslides that occurred yesterday morning in Kerala due to heavy rains. At least 130 people were injured, while about 400 families are still stranded due to the debris.

Two huge landslides poured into the districts of Mundakkai and Chooramala, which lie in the foothills of the Meppadi hill region. Chooralmala recorded more than 140 mm of rain in the 24 hours between Monday morning and Tuesday, almost five times more than predicted, data released by the Indian Meteorological Department showed.

Despite the dispatch of a massive rescue mission that continued until late in the evening, at least 98 people are still missing, mainly workers from tea and coffee plantations typical of the area, and internal migrants from the states of West Bengal and Assam.

Other people may have been trapped under the collapsed buildings, rescue teams reported. ‘Until 10pm last night, we rescued 70 people, after which we had to stop due to bad weather and rain,’ said National Disaster Response Force commander Akhilesh Kumar. The extent of the damage remains unknown at the moment due to various connection problems.

Meanwhile, more than 3,000 people have so far been relocated to camps for displaced persons. Field hospitals have been set up at the Chooralmala church and inside the Polytechnic College.

The Catholic Bishops' Council of Kerala expressed its condolences to the victims and informed that it will cooperate with government agencies and social organisations to expedite relief operations:

“The Catholic Bishops” Council of Kerala will fully cooperate with government efforts to provide relief to the victims. We will work together with diocesan teams and volunteers in the affected areas to provide assistance, comfort and courage to overcome the crisis."

The Kerala government has declared 30 and 31 July as days of national mourning. An orange alert was announced today, less severe than the red alert issued by the local weather authorities in recent days.

Even the leaders of the Congress, the opposition party, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who had intended to visit the families affected by the landslides, were unable to land in Kerala because of the incessant rains.

• India
• Kerala
• Francia