NEW DELHI — The death toll from the massive landslides in India's southern Kerala state has climbed to 57 as of Tuesday, officials reported.

A large-scale search operation is underway in the Wayanad district of Kerala, where hundreds of people are feared trapped. Indian army and air force personnel have been deployed to assist in the rescue efforts.

The landslides occurred during the night between Monday and Tuesday. An official from the Kerala Chief Minister’s office said that the death toll has risen to 57 and that heavy rainfall is complicating the rescue operation in the district. "The rescue operation is underway," he said.

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah stated that the National Disaster Response Force is conducting search and rescue operations on a “war footing.” He added that a second team is on its way to reinforce the efforts, as mentioned in a post on X.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow over the landslides in Wayanad and confirmed that rescue operations are ongoing to assist those affected. Modi also spoke with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, assuring all possible help from the central government in response to the situation.

On Tuesday morning, Vijayan’s office stated that the chief minister had issued directives to coordinate the rescue operations in Wayanad promptly following the “devastating landslide.”

The landslide coincides with the state experiencing heavy monsoon rains. — Agencies