The death toll from the devastating landslides in Kerala, India, has now exceeded 158, with officials reporting 187 people still missing.
Rescue operations, which were paused late Tuesday night, resumed on Wednesday morning.
These landslides represent the worst disaster to strike the state since 2018 when floods claimed over 400 lives.
In response, the Indian flag is being flown at half-mast on government buildings in the state, which is observing two days of official mourning.
The disaster, occurring in the Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas of Wayanad district, “wiped out an entire area,” Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated in a press conference on Tuesday.
The district and its neighboring regions remain on high alert for heavy rain on Wednesday. Schools and colleges are closed in 12 of the state’s 14 districts.
Joint rescue efforts are being conducted by the army, navy, and air force, along with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police, and fire department teams.
Over 3,000 people have been rescued and relocated to 45 relief camps.
On Tuesday evening, air force helicopters carried out search and rescue operations to evacuate individuals stranded in Mundakkai, which was isolated by a river due to the landslides.
Officials reported that a small team of rescue workers managed to cross the river and reach the affected area.