More than 20 dead after floods hit southern India

Rescue workers carry the body of a victim after recovering it from the debris of a residential house following a landslide caused by heavy rainfall at Kokkayar village in Idukki district in the southern state of Kerala, India, October 17, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer

KOCHI, India (Reuters) - Leaders in the southern Indian state of Kerala opened near-overflowing dams on Monday after at least 22 people died when heavy rains lashed the region over the weekend.

Rainfall across Kerala triggered flash floods and landslides in several areas, with the Indian army and navy called out to rescue residents.