Thiruvananthapuram, August 11: Rains continue to wreak havoc in Kerala with the death toll due to floods and landslides having risen to 29 on Saturday. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan conducted an aerial survey of the flooded areas and began visiting the affected areas on Saturday. Kerala Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan and Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala accompanied him on his visit to the flood-hit areas of Idukki, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Wayanad, Kozhikode and Malappuram. Floods have ravaged many parts of the state with continuing heavy rainfall over the past three days.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to visit Kerala tomorrow, August 12. Five shutters of the Idukki Dam were opened on Friday. The water level of the dam, reported at 6 am today, was 2401.16 feet with its full reserve level being 2403 feet. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of more heavy rains till August 13.

The floods have left nearly 54,000 people homeless in the state. Five columns of the Army were deployed in seven severely-hit northern districts to help evacuate people and to build makeshift bridges even as the Indian Navy’s southern command was put on alert after the water level in Periyar river rose amid concern that parts of Wellingdon Island in Kochi could be inundated. Almost all 40-odd rivers in the state are in spate, officials said.

Meanwhile, Kerala Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran on Friday said that nearly 60 tourists, including foreigners, stranded at a resort near here were safe. In his Facebook post, Surendran said that 24 foreigners and 33 domestic tourists were holed up at the resort after the area was cut off from the outside world following landslides in the wake of heavy rains in the past two days.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 11, 2018 09:55 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).