Landslide Death Toll in Kerala India Now Reaches 151

JAKARTA - Nearly 1,000 people have been evacuated after a landslide in the hills of Wayanad district in the Indian state of Kerala. At least 151 people have been killed and many are still missing.

Heavy rains on Tuesday morning, July 30, caused mudflows and large rocks to fall on tea plantations and small settlements.

This is the worst disaster in the state since deadly floods in 2018.

"151 people have died and 187 are still missing," a spokesman for the state's chief minister, P.M. Manoj, told Reuters by telephone on Wednesday, July 31.

The Indian Army said it was rescuing 1,000 people and had begun the process of building an alternative bridge after the main bridge connecting the affected area to the nearby town of Chooralmala was destroyed.

“The landslide occurred in the upper part and then affected the lower valley area where people live. The focus now is to search for people stranded in the entire hill area and recover as many bodies (as possible),” said MR Ajith Kumar, a state law official.

Nearly 350 of the 400 houses registered in the affected area were damaged.

After a day of heavy rain that hampered rescue operations, the weather agency predicted a lull on Wednesday, although the area is likely to see rain throughout the day.