Rescue operation underway as 126 killed in India landslides

Relentless downpours and howling winds hampered Wednesday's search for survivors of landslides that struck Indian tea plantations and killed at least 150 people, most believed to be labourers and their families.

Days of torrential monsoon rains have battered the southern coastal state of Kerala, with blocked roads into the Wayanad district disaster area complicating relief efforts. Several who managed to flee the initial impact of the landslides found themselves caught in a nearby river that had burst its banks. The state government announced that more than 3,000 people were sheltering in emergency relief camps around Wayanad district.