Dozens killed, hundreds feared trapped after landslides in India

At least seven dozen people, including children, were killed in southern India’s Kerala state when a massive landslide hit Wayanad district on Tuesday. Hundreds more are feared trapped underneath debris as rescue operations continue.

Around 70 sustained injuries and are being treated in nearby hospitals, Kerala’s Health Minister Veena George has said. The rescue mission, initially carried out by the National Disaster Response Force and civil defense, is being complicated by the continuing rainfall, Indian media reported.

India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has instructed the army to mobilize forces for rescue operations in the landslide-affected region.

India’s President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as other top officials have shared their condolences on social media. Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Modi said he had spoken to Kerala's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and assured all possible help from the federal government. The PM has announced Rs 200,000 ($2,380) in compensation for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 ($600) for those injured.

Rahul Gandhi, the leader of India’s opposition Congress party, also took to X to express grief. “My heartfelt condolences go out to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones,” he said, adding that he would speak to federal ministers to provide assistance to the affected district. Notably, Gandhi served as a Member of Parliament representing Wayanad in the Lower House (Lok Sabha) from 2019-2024.

Each year, landslides kill hundreds of people in India during monsoon season, with hilly states being particularly affected.

On Monday, a landslide in Dimthanlong, a village in Manipur in Northeast India, killed a mother and her child. A massive landslide in the same state had killed 58 people in 2022.

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