Death toll from India landslide rises to 65

NEW DELHI, India

The death toll from a massive landslide earlier this month reached 65 Thursday, a senior police official said.

The Aug. 7 landslide in the Rajamalai village of the hilly Munnar area in the Idukki district of Kerala was caused by heavy monsoon rains, according to officials. A massive search operation was launched in by the authorities that have so far rescued 12 people.

District police head Karuppasamy. R told Anadolu Agency that three more bodies were recovered Thursday. “Five people are still missing,” he said.

The State Emergency Operation Center said rescue operations would continue until all bodies are recovered.

Several areas in India are witnessing floods due to the annual monsoons, with flooding and landslides a common occurrence during the season.