Munnar, Aug 7 (UNI) At least 15 people were killed and about 66 others went missing, after a mound of earth caved in on a row of houses of tea estate workers at Pettimudi in the high range Idukki district on Friday, as heavy rains pounded the area triggering a landslide.
According to police sources, 15 bodies were recovered from the debris in Rajamalai, while 16 people have been rescued so far, including four critically injured.
Search operations were going on to locate the people trapped under the debris, police sources said.
About 80 people lived in the neighbourhood of tea plantation labourers in Munnar gram panchayat. All of them worked with Kannan Devan Limited.
The landslide damaged mobile towers and Periyavarai bridge that connected Rajamalai with Munnar. Heavy rain has been lashing Rajamalai and other parts of Idukki for the past 24 hours.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has appointed Crime branch IG Gopesh Agarwal as special officer to coordinate rescue operations.
Meanwhile, Kerala government has announced a financial aid of Rs five lakh for the family members of each deceased. The state will also bear the cost of treatment for the injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs two lakh each to the next of kin of those lost their lives in the landslide. The injured will be given Rs 50,000, he tweeted.
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