Monsoon floods leave 73 dead

SEVERE floods caused by monsoon rains in India have killed at least 73 people and displaced 85,000.

Officials for the state government of Kerala, southern India, said many of those dead were crushed by debris from landslides. Cochin International Airport, one of India’s busiest, is closed until tomorrow due to a flooded runway.

Authorities asked tourists to avoid the area – a popular tourist destination.

Kerala’s chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, said: ‘We’re witnessing something that has never happened before.’

The federal government has sent personnel to assist rescue operations.

Schools in all 14 districts of Kerala have been closed down.