Kerala flood toll rises to 324
UAE ORDERS SETTING UP OF EMERGENCY COMMITTEE TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO AFFECTED PEOPLE
The death toll from floods that have triggered landslides and sent torrents sweeping through villages in the Indian state of Kerala trebled yesterday to 324, authorities said, amid warnings of worse weather to come.
Hundreds of troops and local fishermen are staging desperate rescue attempts with helicopters and boats across the southern state.
In Abu Dhabi, President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan instructed the formation of a national emergency committee to provide relief assistance to the people affected by floods.
The committee will be chaired by the Emirates Red Crescent and include representatives from the UAE’s humanitarian organisations. The committee will also seek the help of prominent Indian expatriates.
Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, VicePresident and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, extended their heartfelt condolences to the brotherly Indian people and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the loss of lives in the floods.
Meanwhile, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid, in a series of tweets, called for extending a helping hand to the flood-affected people. “Kerala is witnessing huge floods, the most devastating in a century. Hundreds have been killed and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Ahead of Eid Al Adha, do not forget to extend a helping hand to our brothers in India,” Shaikh Mohammad tweeted last night.
“The people of Kerala have always been and are still part of our success story in the UAE. We have a special responsibility to help and support those affected, especially during this holy and blessed days,” he said.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan earlier said the state has been battered by record monsoon rainfall this year and is “facing the worst floods in 100 years”, adding that 324 lives had been lost so far.
With thousands still trapped, power and communication lines down and fresh alerts of further torrential rain, authorities warned of more trouble ahead and further deaths to come.
More than 300 people have been killed in the state of Kerala by the worst flooding to hit the region in a century, authorities said yesterday, as troop reinforcements stepped up rescue efforts.
The state — a key international tourist draw with its backwaters and beaches — has been battered by record monsoon rainfall in recent days, and “facing the worst flood in 100 years”, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. In a Twitter statement released by his office, he said there had been “324 lives lost”, a tripling of the death toll in the last 24 hours. Vijayan added that 223,139 people have been moved to more than 1,500 relief camps.
With thousands still trapped, power and communication lines down and fresh alerts of further torrential rain, authorities warned of even more trouble ahead. More than 30 military helicopters and 320 boats are attempting rescues across Kerala. People all over the state of 33 million people have made panic-stricken appeals on social media for help, saying they cannot get through to rescue services. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to undertake an aerial survey of the flood-devastated parts of Kerala on Saturday to assess the Central government’s aid efforts and rescue operations. Modi was expected to land in Thiruvananthapuram by 9pm and will be staying at the Raj Bhavan. India’s army, ■ navy and air force teams have been pressed into rescue efforts across Kerala in increased numbers this week. Helicopters were criss-crossing the most affected districts of Ernakulam, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur and Alappuzha yesterday, trying to airlift individuals and groups of people who were left stranded on house balconies and terraces as water levels shot up.
Besides the defence personnel, there are also 39 teams of the National Disaster Rescue Force assisting in the rescue work. Another 14 teams of the NDRF are expected shortly. The rescue forces have saved an estimated 4,000 people.
Trapped in homes
Tens of thousands of people are believed to be trapped in buildings, particularly in highrises. Trapped families have been sending videos of their condition to the helpline number provided by the state. In Aranmula, Pathanamthitta district, over two dozen students of an engineering college have been trapped in their hostel, while dozens more students are marooned in the Aluva-Angamaly-Perumbavur region.
Fishermen turn heroes
In Pathanamthitta district, dozens of fishermen who arrived from Neendakara and other parts of Kollam district have turned heroes over the past few days, helping rescue hundreds of people marooned in their homes.
The fishermen have come with their boats, which they brought to the flood-affected areas on trucks.
Nearly 35 fishing boats are in operation in different districts, with the fishermen saving an estimated 1,200 people so far, most of them in Pathanamthitta district.