New Delhi, Aug 24: The railways' computer-based exams which were postponed in Kerala in the wake of the devastating floods have been rescheduled for September 4, a senior official said today.

Around 30,000 candidates who had been unable to appear in the exam will now be able to do so, the railways have said. Soon after incessant rains threatened to leave lakhs of people homeless in the state, the railways had announced the postponement of the exams in centres in Kerala which began on August 9 and continued in phases on August 13, 14, 17, 20 and 21.

The next phases are to be held on August 29, 30 and 31. Nearly 48 lakh candidates will appear for the exam for 66,502 vacancies of assistant loco-pilots and technicians.

While outstation candidates were allotted centres elsewhere, exams for the candidates from the state were postponed. At least 223 people have lost their lives since August 8 in Kerala's worst floods in decades, which also forced lakhs of people into shelter camps.