More than 350 people have died in southern India following landslides triggered by heavy rain, local media have reported.
The landslides hit the Wayanad district in Kerala just after midnight on Tuesday, destroying hundreds of houses, roads, bridges and tourist resorts.
Officials had warned the initial number of deaths, reported as 93 on Wednesday, was likely to rise.
On Saturday, local media began reporting it had exceeded 350.
There have been 365 deaths, according to Asianet News, while Times Of India puts the figure slightly lower, at 358.
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Rescue operations continue after landslides
In the worst hit area, the village of Mundakkai, 205 people – almost all locals – have reportedly been confirmed dead, with many more are missing.
Tourists were warned to leave a day earlier due to the rain.
Search operations in Mundakkai. Pic: Reuters
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Did overtourism contribute to the tragedy?
Local authorities and experts have begun to question whether the rapid development of tourism in the area could have contributed to the tragedy.
India frequently faces weather-related disasters but these landslides in Kerala are the worst since around 400 people were killed in floods there in 2018.
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A drone view of the search for survivors. Pic: Reuters
Mundakkai and its neighbouring areas housed almost 700 resorts, homestays and zip-lining stations attracting tourists, a local official said.
Experts said several government reports warned over-development in ecologically-sensitive areas would increase the risk of natural disasters, as forest cover that absorbs rain would be removed while natural run-offs for water could be blocked.
The warnings went ignored or got lost in government, they claimed.
A doctor inspects a child at a relief camp. Pic: Reuters
N Badusha, head of a local environment protection NGO, said: “Wayanad is no stranger to such downpours.
“Unchecked tourism activity in Wayanad is the biggest factor behind worsening such calamities.
“Tourism has entered ecologically-sensitive fragile areas where it was not supposed to be.”
More than a million domestic and foreign tourists travelled to Wayanad last year – nearly triple the number in 2011, when a government report warned against over-development.
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