Thousands await rescue as downpour continues

Indian PM vows more aid and compensation for those hit by worst monsoon in 100 years

Thiruvananthapuram: Thousands of people in the southern Indian state of Kerala were yesterday still awaiting rescue from the worst flooding in nearly 100 years, with heavy rain predicted to continue for at least the next two days. With more than 300,000 people sheltering in relief camps and thousands of others on high ground in areas cut off by floods, supplying food, medicine and clean water is a growing challenge for authorities. More than 320 people have died as a result of the monsoon floods in the past two weeks, according to Kerala’s Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, although the state emergency control room reports a lower toll of about 200.

Rescuers were still to reach some parts of the state on Saturday, and about 10,000 people were thought to be stranded on rooftops or the upper floors of homes.

Modi visit

The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, flew over some of the flooded areas on Saturday and pledged an additional £56m in financial assistance and compensation for the families of the dead. “The nation stands firmly with Kerala in this hour,” he tweeted. More than 82,000 rescue operations were mounted last Friday by the Indian military, disaster management teams and volunteer workers including fishermen. Their efforts were hampered, however, by incessant rain, which has limited their work to daylight hours. Authorities have called for extra food, water and medicines to supply more than 1500 relief camps that have sprung up around the state.

“The camps are very crowded,” said Jayakiran, a volunteer rescue worker in Cochin who had just returned from touring two camps near the city.