Mannur, Aug 16: As many as 82 tourists were stranded inside a bus on Thursday in Munnar in Kerala's Idukki district following heavy rains across the state. Rescue operations could not be carried out as all routes leading to the place where the tourists were stuck were either flooded or blocked due to mudslides. The famed tourist destination in Munnar though continued to be in a bad shape.

Entire Kerala has been on a red alert since Wednesday evening. At least 12 fresh deaths were reported on Thursday as heavy rains continued to lash the state leading to flooding. The deaths were reported from Malappuram, Kozhikode, Palakkad and Thrissur. All educational institutions were closed today. PM Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke to Kerala Chief Minister Pinaryi Vijayan to discuss flood situation in the state.

"Spoke to Kerala CM Shri Pinarayi Vijayan again this morning. We discussed the flood situation in the state. Have asked the Defence Ministry to further step up the rescue and relief operations across the state. Praying for the safety and well-being of the people of Kerala," he tweeted.

As the flood situation continues to grow worse in the state, rising level of water in Muttom Metro Yard area led to the suspension of train services at Kochi Metro on Thursday. Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation bus services have also been stopped from Chamarajanagar district for Tamil Nadu's Ooty and Kerala's Kochi.

Taking note of the crisis, Southern Naval Command has suspended all training activities to support in the flood relief operations as requested by Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA). All resources have been mobilised for rescue and relief efforts in Ernakulam and Trichur cities in the state.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 16, 2018 10:55 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).