Kerala rain fury: Toll climbs to 8, more than 5,000 shifted to relief camps
Heavy rain in Kerala has left eight people dead, eight missing and 13 injured, while also causing landslides, waterlogging and damage to property in many
Heavy rain in Kerala has left eight people dead, eight missing and 13 injured, while also causing landslides, waterlogging and damage to property in many parts of the state, VD Satheesan said on Sunday. In a statement issued by his office, he said 27 houses were completely destroyed, 196 were partially damaged and 5,792 people had been shifted to 209 relief camps across the state. Read Full Story He said the government would ensure assistance to the families of those who died and to people who had lost their homes and livelihoods. While rainfall had reduced since the previous day, he urged people, especially those in hilly areas, to remain vigilant. Satheesan said people's representatives and volunteers were actively involved in relief work. He said he was in touch with Revenue Minister AP Anilkumar, other ministers assigned to various districts and local administrations over rain-related relief efforts.
He also said the easing of rain in many parts of the state had brought some relief and that cleaning work had begun in flooded and waterlogged areas. He urged workers and activists of political parties and voluntary organisations to join the cleaning drive and assured government support. Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Anilkumar said the situation was improving and was under control after the previous day's heavy rain caused widespread damage and waterlogging. He said damaged roads had been restored for travel in many places, though restrictions on vehicle movement remained in some areas. He added that alerts had already been issued in several districts in view of the heavy rainfall and that preparations were in place to deal with the situation. According to the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, some parts of the state received up to 320 mm of rainfall on Saturday, leading to waterlogging on roads and in low-lying areas.
The highest rainfall of 320 mm was recorded in Ayyankunnu in Kannur district, while many other places in north Kerala received between 90 mm and 180 mm of rain from 3 am on Saturday to midnight. TV visuals showed flooding in low-lying and riverside areas, especially in Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Wayanad, Kottayam, Kozhikode and Kannur districts, with water entering homes in several places. On Sunday morning, although the rain had eased, floodwater had not receded in many places, especially in Ranni in Pathanamthitta district and Kuttanad in Alappuzha district, where people were seen travelling in small boats. The water level in many dams fell after the rain reduced, leading to the closing of shutters that had been opened the previous day. However, KSDMA said the water level in some power generation dams in Idukki, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur districts remained on red alert. In Pathanamthitta, rain damaged around 40 houses in 25 villages, mainly in Ranni and Konni.
The BriefWire