Heavy rains have caused deadly landslides in the southern Indian state of Kerala. The death toll continues to rise as the hours go by.
The first estimate of deaths was 49 people. It increased shortly after to more than 70. Added to this was the uncertainty of the fate of hundreds more who would have been buried after the landslides caused by the strong floods in southern India. The death toll continues to rise as rescue operations progress.
The affected villages are located in a mountainous region of the district of Wayanadin the state of Kerala.
Rescue teams are struggling to remove the missing from the rubble, efforts that are hampered by blocked roads and unstable terrain.
The Indian Meteorological Department has put Kerala in alert for incessant rains.
The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has offered his condolences to the families of the deceased and has offered his support to the injured on social networks. “Shocked by the landslides in part of Wayanad. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones and my prayers with those injured.”
India is regularly flooded during the monsoon season, which runs from June to September and provides most of South Asia’s annual rainfall. Every year there are hundreds of fatalities in the region.
The state of Kerala suffered its worst floods of the century in 2018 after devastating rains.
According to scientists, the impact of monsoons is becoming more serious as a consequence of climate change. Monsoon rains in Pakistan They reported more than 1,000 deaths in 2022.
Additional sources • Enrique Barrueco (Voice-over)
