Kerala floods Live: Death toll swells to 324; Nearly 3.1 lakh become homeless

Highlights

  • Entire state of Kerala is on red alert with more rains expected till Saturday
  • Defence forces and disaster response teams already in the state for the past few days are busy putting up makeshift bridges and clearing roads
  • Cochin Airport will remain shut till August 26
The death toll in the flood-hit Kerala has jumped to 324. The death toll from 10 days of floods in the state has nearly trebled in the last 24 hours. Over 3 lakh people are living in relief camps across the state and a red alert was sounded in all 14 Kerala districts. All three wings of the armed forces have been pressed into action for a massive rescue operation.

North and central Kerala has been worst hit by the floods. Pathanamthitta district in Central Kerala has been the worst affected in the last 24 hours as thousands of people -- students among others were trapped in their homes in Ranni, Aranmula and Kozhencherry.

Kerala's government has described the crisis -- one of the worst in decades -- as "extremely grave" and rescue operations are underway to help thousands who remain trapped by floodwaters.

Cochin airport will remain shut till August 26.

Here are live updates from Kerala:
*Railway dispatches 2.8 lakh litre of drinking water from Tamil Nadu's Erode to Kerala

* Over 80,000 persons, stranded in various places, were rescued today, of whom 71,000 were from one of the worst affected Aluva region of Ernakulam district.

* In a tweet Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said his state was "facing the worst flood in 100 years" with "324 lives lost". Vijayan also said the situation continued to be "grave" with over 3.14 lakh people from over 70,000 families sheltered in relief camps.

* Delhi, Andhra announce Rs 10 crore contribution each for flood relief.

* DGCA asks domestic airlines to mount additional flights to and from Kerala with a cap on the maximum fare.

* Congress President Rahul Gandhi urged party workers to demonstrate the core party values of service and help those in need.

* PM Modi will undertake an aerial survey of Kerala tomorrow to assess the Central government's aid efforts and rescue operations.

* TV channels telecast disturbing visuals of a woman in labour being pulled up with the help of a rope dropped down from a Navy chopper, swinging violently in the air.

* The woman, whose amniotic sac was ruptured, was shifted to a Navy hospital where she gave birth to a baby boy.

*As rains claim 106 lives on a single day, the state plunged deeper into misery today with hospitals facing shortage of oxygen and fuel stations running dry. The deadliest deluge in close to a century 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.




*The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) met for the second time in two days today and directed to mobilise additional resources to all agencies engaged in rescue and relief operations. So far, of 339 motorised boats, 2,800 life jackets, 1,400 life buoys, 27 light towers and 1,000 raincoats have been mobilised.

*Kerala government has been advised to explore the use of V-SAT communication links in areas where telephone connectivity has been disrupted.

*A bench of CJI Dipak Misra and Justice DY Chandrachud asked Kerala and Tamil Nadu to abide by NCMC's directions on rehabilitation and water level reduction.

*CM Vijayan said that 16 teams of Army, 42 teams of Navy and 28 teams of NDRF are currently invovled in rescue and aid operations. More NDRF teams are expected to reach the state soon.

*Visuals of flodded roads in Alappuzha's Chunakkara village:
kerala-ANI

*Google has come with "Google people finder" ( ) to help track missing Kerala Flood victims.

*Idukki dam water level touches 2402.35 ft. Mullaperiyar dam water level is at 141.60 ft.

*Incessant rains since August 8 have so far killed more than a hundred people. Around 1.67 lakh being shifted to relief camps across the state.

*Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Kerala.
* Kochi international airport will remain closed for operation till August 26 morning

* In a first, the sluices of 33 dams across Kerala have been opened, following incessant rain since late Tuesday. More rain has been forecast till Saturday.

 *Three new teams of Military Engineering Task Force arrived in the state capital in the night. A team of naval officials has already reached Alappuzha district for relief and rescue.

*A five family members died in Malappuram, crushed when their house collapsed. Three were reported missing, while one child was rescued. A person died in a Munnar lodge collapse. A 70-year-old woman was electrocuted near Pathanamthitta as her house was submerged.

*The situation in Pathanamthitta district, especially Ranni and its surroundings areas, appeared to be bleak since late Wednesday evening as, local CPI-M legislator Raju Abraham, said things were turning from bad to worse and he was receiving frantic calls from his contituents in Ranni.

*Indian Air Force personnel used helicopters to airlift people to safety from some areas of Pathanamthitta district in the evening to the state capital.

*The famed tourist destination in Munnar has been closed for traffic, following flooding of the Old Munnar town.

*The Sabarimala temple has warned pilgrims not to reach the shrine in view of the surging river waters in the vicinity.

*The public transport system collapsed in many parts of central Kerala with the Southern Railways and Kochi Metro suspending their operations due to floods.

"Kochi Metro train operation is suspended as the water level rises in Muttom yard area," a KMRL statement said. The service will be resumed once the water comes down and the systems are back in good condition.

* Bus services to Kochi were also affected after National Highways connecting the city submerged in Kalamassery area, officials said.
* Besides the Army, Navy and the Indian Air Force, the Coast Guard and the National Disaster Response Force have been asked to mobilise additional manpower, boats and helicopters to scale up the rescue and relief operations, a home ministry spokesperson said here.




* The heaviest rains and floods since 1924 have caused massive destruction, leaving more than 75,000 people in relief camps and damage to crops and properties that the state estimated to be over Rs 8,000 crore.
*Here are the helpline numbers:
Pathabanthiita(+918078808915)

Iddukki(+919383463036)

Kottoyam(+919446562236)

Kollam(+919447677800)
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