Kerala toll rises to 324 as rain piles misery
The worst floods in a century in Kerala have killed more than 300 people and forced 200,000 into relief camps, with more misery expected as heavy rain pushed water levels higher.
“Kerala is facing its worst flood in 100 years. 80 dams opened, 324 lives lost and 223,139 people are in about 1,500 relief camps. Your help can rebuild the lives of the affected,” the chief minister’s office posted on Twitter on Friday.
The deluge has dealt a body blow to the scenic state, wrecking its tourism industry, destroying standing crops in thousands of hectares and inflicting huge damage to infrastructure. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to undertake an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas on Saturday.
“We discussed the flood situation across the state and reviewed rescue operations. Later this evening, I will be heading to Kerala to take stock of the unfortunate situation due to flooding,” Modi tweeted after talking to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan by phone.
Vijayan, who also spoke to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, said the situation continued to be “grave” with over 70,000 families sheltered in relief camps. He said he was hoping the military could step up help for the rescue effort, which is already using dozens of helicopters and hundreds of boats. “In some areas, airlifting is the only option ... thousands are still marooned,” he said.
Over 80,000 people, stranded in various places, were rescued on Friday, of whom 71,000 were from one of the worst affected Aluva region of Ernakulam district.
The airport in Kochi has been flooded. It has suspended operations until August 26 with flights being diverted to two other airports in the state. Rail and road traffic has also been disrupted in many places.
“Water levels continue to overflow on track and surpassing danger level of bridges at different places,” Southern Railway said in a statement, adding it had cancelled more than a dozen trains passing through Kerala.
Quite a few petrol pumps, even in places like Thiruvananthapuram, which has escaped the monsoon fury to some extent, have run dry. Long queues of motorists were seen at several fuel stations in the district. Authorities have directed each of these fuel bunks to keep in reserve 3,000 litres of diesel and 1,000 litres of petrol at all times for relief operations.
Local fishermen have also joined in the rescue mission with their boats and could be seen evacuating those marooned in places like Aluva, Kalady, Perumbavoor, Muvattupuzha and Chalakudy.
Several roads in the hill district of Idukki, including in picturesque Munnar, have been badly damaged from a string of landslides.
Wayanad, among the worst-hit by the floods, is cut off from the rest of Kerala.
Kerala has been hit with 37 per cent more rainfall than normal since the beginning of this monsoon, the Meteorological Department said.