Hopes of finding survivors fade as Kerala landslides death toll nears 200

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan describes the disaster as ‘one of the worst’ the southern Indian state has ever witnessed.

Hopes of finding more than 180 missing people alive in India’s Kerala state waned as rescue workers continued to search through mud and debris after landslides set off by torrential rains have killed at least 194 people, the authorities said.

The disaster was the worst in the southern state since deadly floods in 2018. More than 5,500 people have been rescued from hillside villages, according to a government spokesperson.

“This is one of the worst natural calamities Kerala state has ever witnessed,” said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the state’s top elected official.

Rescue work remains challenging with more rains in the disaster area, said Vijayan’s spokesman PM Manoj, The Associated Press news agency reported.

Nearly 40 bodies were found downstream after being swept some 30km (19 miles) down the Chaliyar River from the area in Wayanad district where the main landslides occurred. Body parts were also recovered.

Manoj said 187 people were unaccounted for as of Thursday, and 186 people were injured. Local media reported most of the victims were tea estate workers.

Some 1,100 rescue personnel, helicopters and heavy equipment were involved in the operation. Images from the site showed rescue workers making their way through muck and floodwaters, while a land excavator was clearing the debris.

As of Thursday, both The Indian Express and The Times of India newspapers were reporting that as many as 276 people have been reported killed in the aftermath of the heavy rain and flooding that followed.

Torrents of mud and water swept through tea estates and villages in hilly areas in the district early on Tuesday, flattening houses and destroying a key bridge.

Soldiers were rushing to complete the construction of a 58-metre (190-foot) metal bridge on Thursday to connect the worst-affected area of Mundakkai to ferry heavy equipment from the nearest town of Chooralmala.

More than 8,300 people have been moved to 82 government-run relief camps, Manoj said. The government is ensuring food delivery and essential items to the relief camps.

Kerala, one of India’s most popular tourist destinations, is prone to heavy rains, flooding and landslides.

The region hit by the landslides was forecast to get 204mm (8 inches) of rainfall but ended up deluged by 572mm (22.5 inches) over a period of 48 hours, Vijayan said earlier in the week.

India has witnessed extreme weather conditions in recent years, from torrential rain and floods to droughts and cyclones, blamed by some experts on climate change.