Figures are lost as landslides in India kill 158

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

Rescuers said they were searching under collapsed roofs and the rubble of collapsed houses for possible survivors.

Floods of mud and water flooded the region early on Tuesday, flattening houses and uprooting trees.

Heavy rain continues in the area, disrupting rescue plans.

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

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

The rescue operations, which stopped on Tuesday night, resumed on Wednesday morning.

What is seen in the area shows the extent of the destruction, with uprooted trees lying on submerged roads and destroyed homes.

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

More than 3,000 people have been rescued and relocated to 45 relief camps so far. Among those still missing are farm workers and migrants who live here.

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

Pictures show rescuers pulling survivors out from under the rocks and taking them to safety. In some places, rescue teams are trying to build a temporary bridge to reach those trapped on the other side of the raging river.

But these efforts have been hampered by heavy rain and rugged terrain, which has made it difficult to reach the victims. Landslides have also destroyed important bridges that connect remote areas.

On Tuesday evening, helicopters were called in to evacuate people who were trapped in Mundakkai, which has been cut off by the river.

In Chooralmala, the soldiers said they used ropes to rap the river, which is already full, to reach the needy people.

The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, said that the region is not known to be prone to landslides and villagers were caught off guard, resulting in a high number of casualties.

On Wednesday, several opposition MPs raised the issue in parliament demanding that the collapse be declared a national disaster.

Rahul Gandhi, the leader of India’s opposition in parliament and a former MP from Wayanad district, said his plans to visit the disaster-hit region had been canceled after authorities warned him that “incessant rains and bad weather” would make it difficult for him. to travel.