Landslide kills 17 in Kerala, more than 50 feared trapped

Kochi: A landslide caused by torrential rains killed at least 17 in the southern Indian state of Kerala on Friday, and rescue workers were searching for more than 50 people thought to be trapped under soil and debris, officials said.

Twelve people have been rescued so far: Devikulam sub-collector.

The landslide hit in the early hours as workers slept, in Idukki district, district collector H Dineshan told Reuters.

Fifteen bodies had been recovered so far and another 51 people were feared to be trapped, he said.

“One team of National Disaster Relief Force have reached the site. Helicopters cannot be deployed as the climate is very misty,” he added.

The death toll in rain-related incidents since June 1 this year has risen to 51. One person died in a house collapse in Palakkad on Friday, officials said.

Cooking utensils buried in mud, asbestos and tin sheets strewn around were seen in the area, which was the habitation of around 80 odd workers at the picturesque area near a tea plantation, about 30km from the tourist town of Munnar. Big boulders are also scattered around the site.

Nearly 20cm of rain fell on Thursday in Idukki district, according to data compiled by state-run weather department. Idukki is about 240km north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram.

“The area has received heavy rains over the last two days and the landslides occurred after midnight. Those affected are mostly tea workers who were sleeping,” said S Sureshkumar, the district’s additional superintendent of police.

In 2018, Kerala was hit by the worst floods in a century.

Hundreds were killed, many of them from Idukki district.

- with inputs from PTI