China’s envoy offers condolences over landslides in India

China's Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, expressed condolences over the devastating landslides in the Indian state of Kerala that have claimed 159 lives so far, saying his thoughts were with the families of the victims.

Sharing a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Chinese envoy wrote, "Deeply saddened to hear about the tragic landslides in #Wayanad, #Kerala. Our thoughts and hearts are with the people there and bereaved families."

At least 159 people have been killed and over 200 injured after massive landslides struck the hilly areas near Meppadi in Wayanad district in South India's Kerala state. As around 200 people are still missing, the death toll may rise further, Kerala chief minister's spokesperson, PM Manoj, told this correspondent.

According to government data, more than 180 people are feared trapped under debris.

The search and rescue operations, which were suspended on late Tuesday night after 20 hours of operations, resumed on Wednesday morning. Wayanad district authorities started collecting data on Wednesday to determine the number of people missing following the tragedy. As many as 45 relief camps have been established in the district, accommodating 3,069 people.

The Indian Army said it rescued 1,000 people and has begun the process of constructing an alternate bridge after the main bridge connecting the worst-hit Mundakkai area with the nearest town of Chooralmala was washed away.

The landslides struck while people were asleep, causing widespread devastation. Many homes have been flattened, rivers are swollen, and many trees have been uprooted.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday he was "distressed by the landslides" and announced a compensation of $2,388 to the victims' families and assured Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in a phone call of extending all possible assistance from the federal government.

Vijayan has decided to intensify the ongoing search and rescue mission in the landslide-ravaged Wayanad district by deploying more personnel and equipment, the spokesperson said, adding that Vijayan will visit the landslide-ravaged area to take stock of the situation. 

Rescue teams from the Indian Army, Navy, and the National Disaster Response Force, state disaster team and local district administration are working on war footing to save the lives amid adverse weather conditions, spokesperson Manoj said. 

The first landslide occurred at 2 am on Tuesday (04:30 am Beijing Time on Monday), followed by another two hours later. Television footage showed rescue workers making their way through mud and uprooted trees to reach those who had been stranded. Vehicles swept off the roads were seen stuck in a swollen river.

At least 572 mm of rain fell in the two days leading up to the landslide, Vijayan said in a statement released by his office.

Several areas, including Meppadi, Mundakkai and Chooralmala, were isolated, and roads were washed away causing immense damage to homes, added Vijayan.

"Efforts to locate missing persons continue with all available resources," the statement said, adding that more than 3,000 people have been moved to relief camps and the government is ensuring the delivery of food and essential items there.

The national flag will be flown at half-mast as the Kerala government has declared an official state mourning. All public functions and celebratory programss scheduled by the government, have been postponed.

"This is a colossal tragedy. Whatever is possible to be done is being done by the agencies... the state agencies, defense forces, Army, Navy, Air Force, all agencies are involved. Our heart goes out to the people," Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said.

"So many bodies have been found and a lot of people are missing. We need to put maximum strength from the federal government's side, state government's side and all other state governments who can help, then only the situation can be addressed. The nation is weeping," senior Indian National Congress leader KC Venugopal said, adding India needs to find out long-term and short-term strategies to stop these types of calamities in future. 

India Meteorological Department or IMD has predicted "heavy to very heavy rainfall" at isolated places; the "heavy to very heavy rainfall' warning is in place for Aug 1 as well, while on the following day, Kerala is likely to witness "heavy" showers.

"Strong surface winds with speeds reaching 30-40 gusting to 50 km/h are likely to prevail occasionally over Kerala on July 31," the IMD said in a statement today. All educational institutions will remain closed on Wednesday and holiday has been declared in 11 districts of the state, as a result of the disaster.

The IMD has issued a red alert for the Wayanad district and an orange alert was issued for four nearby districts of Wayanad. A red alert indicates heavy-to-extremely heavy rain of over 20 cm in 24 hours. An orange alert means very heavy rain of 11 cm to 20 cm.

The Army has started constructing a Bailey bridge to connect Mundakkai and Chooralmala. The rescue team will be able to transport ambulances, food, and water to Mundakkai, the worst hit area, once the bridge is completed.

The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.