Landslides that occurred early Tuesday, July 30 in the southern Indian state of Kerala, have left at least 93 people dead, according to the latest tally announced by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Krishnankutti Rajan's office told the press that 128 people were injured in the landslide that hit Wayanad district.

Kerala Excise Minister MB Rajesh said more than 250 people have been rescued so far, the newspaper reported. Hindu.

The state's Health Minister, Veena George, told the agency earlier in the day Indian Trust Press which has also been handled by the hospital “many were injured”.

Troops deployed

“Hundreds of people potentially trapped”the military said in a statement, saying that some 225 soldiers were deployed to the disaster site to participate in search efforts for survivors.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacts on social media “Thoughts are with everyone who lost their loved ones” and it's his “prayers go out to the wounded”.

He also assured local authorities “all help possible” to deal with the situation. His office further indicated that the victim's family would be compensated with €2,200.

Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who represented Wayanad district in the Indian Parliament in the previous term, explained “heartbreaking » scale of destruction.

“Our country has witnessed an alarming increase in landslides in recent years” And “the importance of a global action plan to address the increasing frequency of natural disasters”he added.

Further rainfall is expected

Kerala's disaster management agency, which said fire brigade teams and state security forces were taking part in search and rescue operations along with the army, warned that further rainfall and strong winds were expected later in the day.

The monsoon that hits South Asia from June to September provides a break from the heat of summer and is essential for replenishing water reserves.

But it also causes floods and landslides, causing material damage and many deaths, the number of which has increased in recent years, mainly due to climate change, experts say.

Dams, deforestation and development projects in India are also factors that exacerbate the death toll.

Severe monsoon-related storms hit the country earlier this month, with parts of the major city of Bombay inundated, while lightning killed at least ten people in the northeastern state of Bihar.

In Kerala, at least 25 people died in floods and landslides in 2021. In 2018, nearly 500 others lost their lives in the state's worst floods in more than a century.