Thiruvanathapuram: With the southwest monsoon continuing to lash various parts of Kerala on Friday, death toll increased to 29. As many as 12 people were reported dead in Idukki district, six in Malappuram, four in Wayanad, two in Ernakulam, two in Kannur, two in Palakkad and one in Kozhikode.
All the five shutters of the Cheruthoni dam, part of the Idukki Reservoir, have been opened after 40 years following increase in the water level in the dam.
As per recent information, a red alert has been declared in Kozhikode till Saturday evening. People have been directed to restrict their movement to landslide prone areas.
The Centre has assured all possible help to the Kerala government in rescue and relief operations. Home Minister Rajnath Singh is also scheduled to survey the flood-affected areas in the state on August 12.
Spoke to Kerala CM Shri Pinrayi Vijayan and discussed the prevailing flood situation in the state. I have assured all possible assistance from the Centre to the state government. The relief and rescue ops are going on. MHA is closely monitoring the flood situation.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 10, 2018
As per official sources, 54 tourists, including 22 foreigners, who were stranded at the Plum Judy resort in Pallivasal near the hill station of Munnar in Idukki district have been rescued today. The tourists were stranded due to a mini-landslip near the resort, blocking the front path leading to the hotel. Fire officials, army, revenue and police officials were deployed at the spot to clear the debris. Meanwhile, the United States of America has asked its citizens to “avoid all areas throughout Kerala affected by landslides and flash floods”.
As per PTI, a total of 12,240 families have been shifted to 439 relief camps across the state. The Southern Naval Command has launched ‘Operation Madad’ for helping the state administration in undertaking disaster relief operations.
On the other hand, expressing concern over the flood situation in the state, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday announced a contribution of Rs 5 crore to the Kerala government in the hour of need. Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy also extended support by directing the government to send relief materials worth Rs 10 crore and a team of doctors to Kerala.
Kalinga AI