Indian deadly landslides death toll mounts to 215, hundreds still missing

KERALA: Rescue operations in southern India’s Kerala entered its final stage on Saturday (August 03), the state’s chief minister said after the death toll mounted to 215 as rescuers race against time to find more than 200 people who are still missing under the landslide debris.

Hopes of finding survivors fade in India’s Kerala after landslides kill 167

Heavy rain in Kerala, one of India’s most popular tourist destinations, led to the landslides in its Wayanad district early on Tuesday (July 30), sending torrents of mud, water and tumbling boulders downhill and burying or sweeping people to their deaths as they slept.

Experts said the area had received heavy rain in the last two weeks that softened the soil before extremely heavy rainfall on Monday triggered the landslides.

At least 215 people have died in the disaster including 98 men, 87 women and 30 children, state chief Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters on Saturday.

India: Fatal landslides trap hundreds in Kerala

Nearly 1,600 people have been rescued from hillside villages and tea and cardamom estates during the last two days, according to authorities, with nearly 350 buildings damaged.