80 people are feared to be trapped after a massive landslide hit Rajamala in Kerala's Munnar district on Friday morning. Ten people have been rescued, while five people have died.
According to officials, the landslide happened in a remote area that is hard to reach.
The intense rain and waterlogging in the area are deterring rescue operations.
Several of those who are trapped are presumably tea estate workers.
Rescue officials are struggling to reach the site of the accident, as some roads have washed out in the flooding that precipitated the landslide.
For the last three days, several parts of the state have been inundated by monsoon rains.