A landslide touched off by heavy seasonal rain killed at least 39 people in a hilly region of southern India, an official said on Tuesday.

The slide destroyed about 300 tin-roofed huts on Monday in the Ooty and Coonoor region of Tamil Nadu state.

Initial reports said as many as 42 people were killed, but a state official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said 39 bodies were recovered from the debris over the last two days. Eight injured people were hospitalized.

Ooty is a popular tourist area, but none of the victims were reported to be foreigners.

India's southern regions commonly get heavy rains in November and December.