At least 40 dead after landslides in India's Kerala, more rain predicted

At least 19 people were killed after multiple landslides in the hills of India's southern state of Kerala on Tuesday, local media reported, with heavy rain and poor internet connectivity hampering rescue efforts.

Hundreds of people are likely to be trapped and as many 19 people have died, including a child, the Indian Express newspaper reported.

Television visuals showed water gushing through rocks and fallen trees, with many houses destroyed.

"The situation is serious. The government has pressed all agencies into rescue," state Forest Minister A K Saseendran told Reuters.

The India Meteorological Department has forecast extremely heavy rain in the state on Tuesday.

Relief efforts are ongoing, and two helicopters of the Indian Air Force have been mobilised, the Kerala chief minister's office said in a statement.

Rescue efforts were hampered as there was no internet connectivity in the area, Mohsen Shahedi, a senior National Disaster Response Force officer said.