At least 7 killed, 80 feared trapped in India landslides

At least seven people were killed after a landslide triggered by heavy rains and floods hit India's southern Kerala state on Friday (August 7).

According to local media, at least 80 people remain trapped under the debris, and the toll death is expected to rise.

Footage carried by local television showed rescuers carrying bodies away from the site of the landslide in a mountainous area of Idukki district.

Annual monsoon season is vital for India as half of its cropland lacks irrigation. The rains support two-thirds of India's 1.25 billion population who live in rural areas and rely on farming. But excessive rains cause many problems such as floods, landslides and water borne diseases.

SS