At least 89 people have been killed and dozens more are believed to be still trapped after heavy rains triggered massive landslides in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
Landslides hit hilly areas of Wayanad district in the early hours of Tuesday.
Rescue operations are underway, but are being hampered by heavy rains and the collapse of a crucial bridge.
“The situation remains very serious. The number of casualties could increase,” V Venu, the state’s top civil servant, told the media.
The landslides are the worst disaster to hit Kerala since 2018, when deadly floods killed more than 400 people.
Authorities say more than 200 military personnel have been deployed to assist security forces in search and rescue efforts.
Local hospitals are treating at least 129 injured people and around 250 people have been rescued and shifted to relief camps so far.
Besides the 65 confirmed deaths in Wayanad, 16 bodies were found in the Chaliyar river, which flows into neighbouring Malappuram district. Body parts of a few others were also found.
Wayanad, a hilly district that is part of the Western Ghats mountain range, is prone to landslides during the monsoon season.
The landslides affected several areas in the district including Mundakkai, Attamala, Chooralmala and Kunhome.
Videos on social media showed muddy water gushing onto unpaved streets and wooded areas, washing away homes and leaving people and vehicles stranded.
A bridge connecting Chooralmala to Mundakkai and Attamala collapsed, isolating the two places and making it difficult for rescue workers to reach trapped families.
Resident Rashid Padikkalparamban told Reuters news agency that at least three landslides hit the area around midnight, washing away the bridge.
National and state rescue teams are conducting rescue operations. Several local residents have also provided assistance.
Mr Venu said a small team had managed to cross the river and reach isolated areas. He added that more resources were needed, but the river’s strong currents made it difficult for rescuers to cross the river.
Air rescue operations also had to be postponed due to heavy rains, he added.
Raghavan C Arunamala, a local resident, described horrific scenes.
“I saw a man trapped in the rubble who was screaming for help. Firefighters and rescuers have been trying to reach him for the past few hours,” he said.
Local media reports that people are flocking to hospitals in search of their loved ones.
Nearly 350 families are believed to have lived in the affected areas, which are home to several tea and cardamom plantations.
Most of the victims were people who worked on the plantations and were probably sleeping in their makeshift tents when the landslides occurred.
Wayanad district and adjoining areas remain on alert due to forecast of heavy rains.
Schools and colleges have been closed in 10 of the 14 districts.
In 2019, 17 people died after a landslide hit Puthumala in Wayanad, about 10 km from the currently affected areas.
Tuesday’s tragedy was also raised in India’s parliament, with Deputy Speaker Jagdeep Singh Dhankar – the speaker of the upper house – calling it a “very painful situation”.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, a former Wayanad MP, is expected to visit the district on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he had spoken to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and assured him of the federal government’s help in the relief efforts.
Mr Modi also announced compensation of 200,000 rupees ($2,388; £1,857) to the families of the victims and 50,000 rupees to the injured.
