Last updated on August 29th, 2024 at 10:08 am
Wayanad, Kerala – Torrential rains in the southern coastal state of Kerala have resulted in a devastating landslide in the district of Wayanad, killing at least 36 people and injuring scores more. The collapse of a bridge at the site has complicated the rescue efforts.
Relief and Rescue Operations
Local district official D.R. Meghasree confirmed the death toll and added that many others are injured and undergoing treatment in hospitals. Images from the National Disaster Response Force show rescue teams trekking through sludge as they search for survivors and recover bodies. Houses in the area are smothered in brown sludge; there is debris everywhere, including automobiles and corrugated iron.
The Indian army has deployed over 200 personnel to assist the local security forces and fire brigades in searching for survivors and retrieving the dead. The army said in a statement that hundreds were feared trapped.
Government Response
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “pained beyond words” and offered “all possible help” to the government of Kerala. He declared 200,000 Indian rupees, about $2,400 as compensation from the PMNRF for the families of those who lost their lives.
The state disaster management agency of Kerala has predicted further rainfall and strong winds on Tuesday, which may affect the rescue efforts further.
Political and Environmental Reactions
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who had represented Wayanad in parliament earlier, expressed deep anguish over the disaster and wished for quick rescue of people who are still trapped.
These monsoon rains are so vital in South Asia for the renewal of water supplies and agriculture, yet so often destructive with its resulting landslides and floods. Their frequency has gone up in the last couple of years because of changes in the climate, deforestation, and development projects.
Last week, heavy monsoon storms also triggered flooding in Mumbai and lightning strikes in Bihar that left at least 10 dead. In 2018, Kerala suffered its worst flooding in close to a century which killed almost 500 people.
The most deadly landslide occurred in 1998 when at least 220 people were buried as the village of Malpa in the Himalayas was swept away.