Heavy Flooding Hits Southern States, Mudslides Destroy Houses, Roads Blocked, Rescue Teams Mobilized

Chennai, India— Water came down the hills before dawn and did not stop. Torrential rain triggered mudslides across parts of southern India on Monday, tearing through homes and cutting off roads. The India Meteorological Department said the system would hold for another 24 hours.

The worst hit was reported in northern Kerala, coastal Karnataka and parts of the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu. Villages along hill slopes saw mud and rock slide onto houses. In Wayanad, a mud wall collapsed onto a house while a family was inside. They escaped with minor injuries.

Officials put the number of damaged houses at more than 40 by Monday evening. Some were fully collapsed. Others were partially buried. Power lines snapped. Water supply was hit in three taluks. A local revenue officer said the damage list was still growing.

The IMD had issued a red alert for heavy to very heavy rain in isolated places. Rainfall crossed 200 mm in 24 hours at several stations. Reservoirs in the region started releasing water. Low-lying areas in Alappuzha and Dakshina Kannada went under water quickly.

"We are tracking multiple landslip points on the ghat roads," a disaster management official said. "People living on the edge of slopes have been asked to move to relief camps. We have opened four camps so far."

Rescue is slow. Earthmovers cannot reach some spots because the approach roads are gone. In Kodagu, a team had to walk two kilometers with equipment. Residents used ropes to pull belongings from half-buried homes. One farmer said his cattle shed was washed away in minutes.

Schools were shut in five districts. The state transport corporations suspended bus services on hill routes. Trains were delayed as tracks were covered with mud at two locations. Officials said no casualties have been confirmed yet but verification is underway.

The administration is bracing for more. The weather office said a low-pressure area over the Arabian Sea is feeding moisture. Fishermen were told not to venture out. Relief materials were stocked in panchayat offices.

District collectors said compensation assessment will start once water recedes and slopes stabilize.