At least 93 persons died and over 125 people were injured after multiple landslides triggered by incessant rainfall hit the hilly Wayanad district in the southern Indian state of Kerala in the early hours of Tuesday, local media reported.
According to figures released by the state government, 98 people have gone missing after landslides struck Meppadi, Mundakkai Town and Chooral Mala in Wayanad. Most of the victims, according to reports, were tea estate workers and their families who were asleep in makeshift shelters.
Multiple agencies have been pressed into service to carry out rescue operations to pull out people stuck under mud and debris. The Indian Army has deployed 200 soldiers from the Defence Security Corps, a medical team, and the Canine Squad to assist the operations.
According to OnManorama, a total of 3,069 people were shifted to 45 relief camps in the disaster-struck region
The coastal state is likely to receive heavy rainfall for the next 24 hours, with the India Meteorological Department predicting heavy downpour from Central Kerala to North Kerala.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the families of deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured.