Monsoon havoc: Kerala landslide, deaths in west India; IMD warns of more rain

India's monsoon turned increasingly deadly on Tuesday, leaving a trail of destruction across the country as landslides, floods, building collapses and drowning incidents claimed lives from Kerala to Gujarat and disrupted normal life in several states.

While rain brought much-needed relief from the sweltering heat across north India, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that rainfall activity is likely to intensify over the next three days, raising fears of more flooding and landslides.

LANDSLIDE HITS KERALA'S WAYANAD

Kerala witnessed one of the season's worst disasters after a massive landslide struck the site of the Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi tunnel project in Wayanad.

At least three people were killed, 10 injured and five remained missing after a rain-soaked mound of excavated earth collapsed near Meenakshi Bridge, burying engineers and security personnel. Two state ministers described the tragedy as a "man-made" disaster.

Dramatic visuals from the site showed tonnes of mud crashing downhill, uprooting trees and sweeping away barricades within seconds.

Chief Minister VD Satheesan said police, fire and rescue teams had been deployed while defence personnel were on standby if additional assistance was required.

RAINS CONTINUE TO BATTER MAHARASHTRA

In Maharashtra, incessant rain triggered a major landslide in Ratnagiri district, burying five houses. A 75-year-old woman was rescued, while efforts continued to trace two others trapped under the debris.

Flood-related incidents also continued in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Two minor boys drowned, and two women were injured after cement sheets collapsed inside a public garden in Andheri during heavy rain and gusty winds.

Authorities also advised thousands of Warkari pilgrims travelling to Pandharpur to avoid the Alandi route in Pune district because of severe flooding.

Although rainfall eased in Mumbai after two days of relentless downpour, civic authorities reported 428 incidents of fallen trees and branches and 28 cases of wall and house collapses. The flood-related death toll in neighbouring Palghar district has now risen to 10.

GUJARAT BATTLES FLOODS

In neighbouring Gujarat, southern districts continued to face extremely heavy rainfall, with Surat emerging as the worst affected. Five people have died in rain-related incidents over the past two days, including four electrocution deaths, officials said.

More than 2,100 people have been shifted from flood-hit localities to relief shelters as several areas remained inundated.

The IMD said isolated places in Surat, Valsad and Dadra and Nagar Haveli received "extremely heavy rainfall" during the past 24 hours.

LANDSLIDES HIT ARUNACHAL

Fresh spells of rain triggered flash floods and landslides across Arunachal Pradesh, where more than 94,000 people have been affected so far this monsoon.

Changlang district reported flooding and landslides, while Upper Subansiri recorded two flood incidents and three landslides.

Upper Siang witnessed as many as 16 landslides within 24 hours, while East Kameng reported a rockfall triggered by incessant rain.

Officials said rescue and relief operations were continuing across the affected districts.

NORTH INDIA GETS RELIEF FROM HEAT

Heavy rain swept across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, bringing respite from intense heat but triggering waterlogging and traffic disruptions.

Delhi recorded widespread rainfall, with Najafgarh receiving 76 mm by Tuesday afternoon. Several roads were waterlogged, while trees were uprooted in different parts of the city.

The IMD has issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms and rain on Wednesday.

In Haryana, Gurugram witnessed 80 mm of rainfall, causing parts of the Delhi-Jaipur Highway (NH-48) near Narsinghpur to cave in, forcing the closure of two lanes. Civil Line Road also developed a large crater after heavy rain.

Monsoon showers brought relief across Uttar Pradesh, where Banda recorded 61.4 mm of rainfall, while Himachal Pradesh continued to witness light-to-moderate rain, prompting authorities to deploy more than 15,000 personnel to restore road connectivity.

The IMD has forecast an increase in rainfall activity over north India over the next three days and advised people in vulnerable areas to remain alert for flash floods, landslides and urban flooding.

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