Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Landslides in southern India kill 44

It is the worst disaster in Kerala since 2018

Landslides in southern India kill 44

LANDSLIDES swept through tea estates in southern India's Kerala state on Tuesday (30), killing at least 44 people as hillsides collapsed after heavy rain sent rivers of mud and water on homes of workers and villagers.

Television pictures showed relief personnel making their way through rocks and uprooted trees as muddy water gushed through, with many houses destroyed. One man was seen struggling to free himself after being stuck in chest-high mud for hours, as rescue workers were not able to reach him despite multiple efforts.


The hillsides gave way after midnight as workers and their families slept in the Wayanad district of Kerala, a state renowned as one of India's most popular tourist destinations.

It is the worst disaster there since 2018 when heavy floods killed almost 400 people.

State cabinet minister M B Rajesh told ANI news agency that at least 44 people were killed and 250 had been shifted to temporary shelters, but rescue efforts were hampered due to the collapse of a bridge. Also, more rain was predicted through the day.

"We fear the gravity of this tragedy is much more. Rescue operations are being carried out by various agencies on a war footing," Rajesh said.

Nearly 350 families lived in the affected region, mostly tea and cardamom estates, a source at the district collector's office told Reuters.

Army engineers were roped in to help build an alternate bridge after the one that linked the affected area to the nearest town of Chooralmala was destroyed, the Kerala chief minister's office said in a statement.

Visuals from ANI showed workers continuing relief work amid uprooted trees and flattened tin structures as huge boulders lay strewn at the site with muddy water gushing through.

Rashid Padikkalparamban, a resident involved in the relief efforts, said there were at least three landslides in the area starting around midnight, which washed away the bridge connecting the Mundakkai estates to Chooralmala.

"Many people who were working in the estates and staying in makeshift tents inside are feared trapped or missing," he said.

Rescue operations were hampered as the area was not reachable by road because of the bridge collapse, Mohsen Shahedi, a senior National Disaster Response Force officer said.

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who won the recently-contested general election from Wayanad, but resigned as he was also elected from his family bastion in the north, said he had spoken to the state chief minister to ensure coordination with all agencies.

"The devastation unfolding in Wayanad is heartbreaking," he said in a message on X. "I have urged the union government to extend all possible support"

(Reuters)

More For You

Another round of Indian deportees from US to arrive in Amritsar

Indian immigrants who allegedly illegally migrated to US arrive at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, in Ahmedabad. (ANI Photo)

Another round of Indian deportees from US to arrive in Amritsar

A US military transport aircraft, the C-17 Globemaster III, is set to land at Amritsar International Airport on Saturday (15) night, carrying around 119 Indian nationals.

This movement follows the earlier deportation of 104 individuals, marking another phase in the US government's intensified crackdown on undocumented immigrants.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trump plans to meet Starmer 'very soon'

Keir Starmer, Donald Trump. (Photo: Getty Images)

Trump plans to meet Starmer 'very soon'

US president Donald Trump said he had agreed to meet prime minister Keir Starmer and that the British leader wanted to travel to the US in the coming weeks.

Starmer's office had said earlier on Friday (14) that he discussed visiting the US on a call with Trump the day before, part of London's efforts to press its case with a US president whose overhaul of trade and foreign policy has shaken much of the world.

Keep ReadingShow less
Man found guilty of rape and murder of Irish backpacker in India

McLaughlin, 28, from County Donegal, was found dead in a field in Goa in March 2017. (Photo credit: Twitter)

Man found guilty of rape and murder of Irish backpacker in India

A COURT in India has found Vikat Bhagat guilty of the rape and murder of Irish backpacker Danielle McLaughlin.

McLaughlin, 28, from County Donegal, was found dead in a field in Goa in March 2017.

Keep ReadingShow less
Alderman Alastair King

King, who serves as the global ambassador for the City of London, will be in Mumbai to discuss trade and investment under his mayoral theme, 'Growth Unleashed.'

Lord Mayor of London to visit India for trade talks

THE LORD MAYOR of London, Alderman Alastair King, is set to visit India for a week starting Saturday, aiming to promote free trade and capital flows between the two countries.

King, who serves as the global ambassador for the City of London, will be in Mumbai to discuss trade and investment under his mayoral theme, “Growth Unleashed.”

Keep ReadingShow less
trump-modi-washington-getty

The meeting came hours after Trump criticised India’s business environment and announced plans for reciprocal tariffs on countries that impose duties on US imports. (Photo: Getty Images)

Modi and Trump agree to resolve trade disputes, discuss tariff concerns

INDIA and the US have agreed to begin negotiations aimed at resolving trade and tariff disputes, following talks between Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and US president Donald Trump in Washington.

India has committed to increasing purchases of US oil, gas, and defence equipment, while both sides pledged to address trade barriers.

Keep ReadingShow less