Kerala Floods: Death Toll Rises to 88, Malappuram Worst Hit; IMD Predicts More Rainfall
The deaths have been reported from 14 districts of Kerala between August 8 and August 12 due to floods. Meanwhile, 53 people are still reported missing. The maximum deaths have been reported from Malappuram, Wayanad and Kozhikode districts.
Kochi, August 13: Heavy rainfall and subsequent floods have battered Kerala for the past few days, taking the death toll to 88 on Tuesday. The deaths have been reported from 14 districts of Kerala between August 8 and August 12 due to floods. Meanwhile, 53 people are still reported missing in several areas. The maximum deaths have been reported from Malappuram, Wayanad and Kozhikode districts. In Malappuram, 29 people have lost their lives, in Kozhikode, 17 have died while in Wayanad, 12 people have been killed in rain-related incidents.
The heavy downpour reduced drastically on Monday in Kerala, giving a sigh of relief to those engaged in rescue operations. At present, around 2.87 lakhs people are staying in 1654 camps across the state. Rescue teams are working hard in the worst-affected areas of Meppadi in Wayanad and Kavalapara in Malappuram. In Alappuzha, which was the worst ever floods last year, has more than 10,000 people in relief camps this year. Monsoon 2019 Mayhem: Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra Reel Under Floods As Rains Gain Pace.
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According to the weather bulletin by IMD, there is no red alert in any district, but more rains are predicted in the coming three days. "Starting tomorrow, rains will be heavy in Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Idukki till Wednesday, while on Thursday it's going to be isolated rains," an IMD official said.
In the wake of the destruction caused by incessant rains in Kerala, Eid celebrations in the state was a low-key affair on Monday. Muslims comprise 88.73 lakh of Kerala's 3.34 crore population. A large number of them live in districts like Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargode, areas worst affected by the rain. Last year too, Eid was marred in the state as the it faced the worst floods in a century.
In 2018, the state had witnessed the worst-ever floods in a century. Heavy rains in most districts of the state have left 85 people dead and over 2.60 lakh people holed up in around 1,500 relief camps across the state.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 13, 2019 09:19 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).