At least 150 dead and dozens missing

Two landslides triggered by heavy rains have devastated districts in the mountainous region of Meppadi. ​​Among those missing are many tea farmers. Field hospitals have been set up in a church and at the local university. The Bishops’ Conference is working with government agencies to speed up relief operations.

Thiruvananthapuram () – The death toll from landslides in Kerala on Monday morning following heavy rains has risen to more than 150 people. At least 130 people were injured, while some 400 families remain stranded by debris. Two huge landslides hit the districts of Mundakkai and Chooramala, located in the foothills of the Meppadi mountain region. Chooramala recorded more than 140 mm of rain in the 24 hours between Monday morning and Tuesday, almost five times more than expected, according to data released by the Indian Meteorological Department.

Despite a massive rescue mission that lasted late into the night, at least 98 people are still missing, mainly workers from the tea and coffee plantations typical of the area and internal migrants from West Bengal and Assam states. Others may have been trapped under collapsed buildings, rescuers said. “Till 10 pm last night, we rescued 70 people, after which we had to stop due to bad weather and rain,” said Akhilesh Kumar, commander of the National Disaster Response Force. The extent of the damage is not yet known due to various connectivity problems.

Meanwhile, over 3,000 people have so far been relocated to camps for displaced people. Field hospitals have been set up at Chooralmala Church and inside the Polytechnic College. The Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council expressed its condolences to the victims and said it will cooperate with government agencies and social organisations to expedite relief operations. “The Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council will fully cooperate with the government’s efforts to provide relief to the victims. We will work along with diocesan teams and volunteers in the affected areas to provide assistance, comfort and courage to overcome the crisis.”

The Kerala government has declared July 30 and 31 as days of national mourning. An orange alert has been announced today, less severe than the red alert issued by local weather authorities in the past few days. Even leaders of the opposition Congress party, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who were scheduled to visit families affected by the landslides, could not land in Kerala due to incessant rains.