UPDATE 2 - India deploys army, air force as death toll due to landslides in Kerala climbs to 57

UPDATES DEATH TOLL; ADDS DETAILS; CHANGES HEADLINE, LEDE

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) - The death toll due to massive landslides in India's southern Kerala state climbed to 57 on Tuesday, officials said on Tuesday.

A massive search operation is underway in the Wayanad district of Kerala, where hundreds of people are feared to be trapped. Officials’ Indian army and air force personnel have been deployed to rescue the people.

The landslides took place during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.

An official at the Kerala chief minister’s office told Anadolu that the death toll has climbed to 57 and heavy rainfall is making the rescue operation difficult in the district. "The rescue operation is underway," he said.

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said the National Disaster Response Force is conducting search and rescue operations on a “war footing.”

“The second team is on its way to further strengthen the response operation,” he wrote on X.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was saddened by the landslides in parts of Wayanad.

“Rescue ops are currently underway to assist all those affected,” he added.

Modi said he spoke to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and also assured all “possible help from the centre in the wake of the prevailing situation there."

Vijayan’s office said on Tuesday morning that the chief minister had given directions to coordinate the rescue operations in Wayanad promptly following the “devastating landslide.”

The landslide came as the state has been witnessing heavy monsoon rains.