The toll in the landslide at the Nayamakkad tea estate in Kerala’s Idukki district rose to 28 on Sunday, Manorama News reported.
More than 40 people are still trapped under the debris, according to Onmanorama.
The India Meteorological Department issued a red alert for Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad and Wayanad districts for heavy to very heavy rainfall.
Devikulam Sub-collector S Premkishan on Saturday said the search operations were called off in the evening because of the rain, The Times of India reported.
Four layams, or workers quarters of the tea garden, were buried under debris after a hill caved in due to heavy rain. Only 12 of the total 82 residents managed to escape.
Premkishan said three separate landslides had occurred in the hills early on Friday, according to The Times of India.
“It was from nearly three km uphill that the rock debris and water rolled down,” he added. “The workers might have been in deep sleep inside the layams.”
Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan was on Saturday overseeing the search and rescue operations, Bangalore Mirror reported.
The state government has also requested the Indian Air Force for a helicopter to assist in the search operations. Unidentified officials in the IAF said the Southern Air Command was waiting for the weather to clear.
A 50-member team comprising fire and rescue officials, a team of the National Disaster Response Force and medical teams from Ernakulam and Kottayam were deployed to Rajamala in Idukki district, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s office had said on Friday.
