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 the Indian state of Kerala faded as rescuers continued to search through mud and rubble after landslides triggered by torrential rain killed at least 194 people, authorities said. .
The disaster was the worst in the southern state since the deadly floods of 2018. More than 5,500 people were rescued from hillside villages, according to a government spokesman.
“This is one of the worst natural calamities the state of Kerala has ever witnessed,” said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the state’s top elected official.
Rescue work remains challenging with more rain 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 about 30 km down the Chaliyar River in the area of Wayanad district where the main landslides occurred. Body parts were also recovered.
Manoj said 187 people were missing as of Thursday and 186 people were injured. Local media reported that most of the victims were tea plantation workers.
Around 1,100 rescue teams, helicopters and heavy equipment were involved in the operation. Images from the scene showed rescuers making their way through mud and floodwaters, while an excavator cleared debris.
On Thursday, The Indian Express and The Times of India newspapers reported that up to 276 people had been killed following the heavy rains and flooding that followed.
Torrents of mud and water swept through tea plantations and villages in mountainous areas of the district on Tuesday morning, destroying homes and destroying a key bridge.
Soldiers were rushing to complete construction of a 58-meter (190-foot) metal bridge on Thursday to connect the worst-affected area of Mundakkai to transport heavy equipment from the nearest town of Chooralmala.
More than 8,300 people have been moved to 82 government-run refugee camps, Manoj said. The government is ensuring the delivery of food and essential items to relief camps.
Kerala, one of India’s most popular tourist destinations, is prone to heavy rains, floods and landslides.
The landslide-hit region was forecast to receive 204 mm (8 inches) of rain, but ended up being flooded by 572 mm (22.5 inches) over a 48-hour period, Vijayan said earlier this week.
India has witnessed extreme weather conditions in recent years, from torrential rains and floods to droughts and cyclones, which some experts attribute to climate change.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
