At least 106 people were killed in multiple landslides triggered by torrential rains in southern India on Tuesday.

Hundreds more were missing or feared trapped under the debris, officials said, with rescue operations being hampered by bad weather.

Local hospitals were treating at least 125 injured people, figures from the state showed. Around 100 have been rescued so far, said Kerala Health Minister Veena George. About 250 people are still stranded.

The landslides hit hilly villages in Kerala state's Wayanad district early Tuesday and destroyed many houses and a bridge, but authorities have yet to determine the full scope of the disaster.

Rescuers were working to pull out people stuck under mud and debris, but their efforts were hampered due to blocked roads and unstable terrain.

PM Manoj, press secretary to the Kerala chief minister, said the landslides had killed at least 93 people so far.

Television visuals showed rescue workers making their way through mud and uprooted trees to reach those who had been stranded. Vehicles swept off the roads were seen stuck in a swollen river.

Authorities mobilized helicopters to help with rescue efforts and the Indian army was roped in to build a temporary bridge after landslides destroyed a main bridge that linked the affected area.

"We are trying every way to rescue our people," state Health Minister Veena George said.

In a post on social media platform X, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "distressed by the landslides in parts of Wayanad," a hilly district which is part of the Western Ghats mountain range.

"My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones and prayers with those injured," Modi wrote. He announced compensation of $2,388 to the victims' families.

Rahul Gandhi, the opposition leader in parliament, said the landslides showed the need for a plan.

"Our country has witnessed an alarming rise in landslides in recent years. The need of the hour is a comprehensive action plan to address the growing frequency of natural calamities in our ecologically fragile regions."

Gandhi, who used to represent Wayanad, is scheduled to visit the area on Wednesday.

India's weather department has put Kerala on alert as the state has been lashed by incessant rains.

Downpours have disrupted life for many and authorities closed schools in some parts Tuesday. More rains are predicted throughout the day.

Kerala is prone to heavy rains, flooding and landslides. Nearly 500 people were killed in the state in 2018 in one of the worst floods.

India regularly has severe floods during the monsoon season, which runs between June and September and brings most of South Asia's annual rainfall.

The rains are crucial for rain-fed crops planted during the season but often cause extensive damage.

Scientists say monsoons are becoming more erratic because of climate change and global warming.