At least 93 killed, many trapped after landslides hit India’s Kerala

Heavy rain hinders rescue efforts after landslides struck the hilly Wayanad district while people were sleeping.

The death toll from landslides in India’s Kerala has reached 93, with 128 others hospitalised, the southern state’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has told reporters.

“93 dead bodies have been found so far,” Vijayan said on Tuesday. “128 people are under treatment in hospitals… This is one of the worst natural calamities that our state has seen.”

Landslides triggered by relentless monsoon rains struck tea plantations in the district of Wayanad at about 2am on Tuesday (20:30 GMT on Monday), as heavy rain collapsed hillsides and triggered torrents of mud, water and tumbling boulders.

The landslides cut off at least four villages in the district, with rescue efforts hampered by continued rains and blocked roads. Most of the victims were tea estate workers and their families who were asleep in makeshift shelters.