At least 22 people died over the weekend in flooding and landslides caused by torrential rains in the state of Kerala, southern India.
The National Disaster Response Force, Indian Army and Navy were called in to rescue people after hitting several neighborhoods.
According to a government official, 13 people died in a landslide in the village of Kotikal in Kottayam district, and six were from the same family.
The Navy comes to the aid of the victims of the floods. Photo: Indian Navy by AP
Authorities say the heavy rains have eased, but fear the death toll will rise as rescue operations continue.
Rescue workers recovered bodies from the two worst-affected areas, Kottayam and Idukki, on Sunday.
Rescuers search for victims under the rubble of a house in Kokayar, Idukki district
Use the Chrome browser to access the video player
These two areas and four others were marked on red alert after at least one of them saw more than 12cm of rain until 8:30 p.m. local time on Saturday when Heavy rain started.
Subsequently, TV reports showed people wading up to their chests in water to save passengers on the bus, which was nearly submerged by heavy rains on the roads.
State Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urged residents to exercise extreme caution even as the heavy rains have stopped.
Shiva temple on the banks of the Periyar river surrounded by flood waters. Photo: AP
He added that more than 100 humanitarian aid camps have been established.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had spoken to the Prime Minister and added that the authorities were working to rescue the victims. “I pray to God for the safety and well-being of all,” he said in a tweet.
In 2018, Kerala suffered catastrophic flooding, when heavy rains during the monsoon killed at least 400 people and displaced around 200,000 people.
“Total travelaholic. Subtly charming zombie geek. Friend of animals everywhere. Music buff. Explorer. Tv junkie.”
