Kerala Floods: Red Alert continues, Death toll reaches 357

Kerala, Aug 18: In the latest update, The death toll due to rains and floods in Kerala has raised to 357 this monsoon season, as 22 more deaths were reported on Saturday and red alert continued in 11 districts following prediction of more rains.

The death toll due to torrential rains since August 9, the third spell during this year's monsoon in the southern state reached 194 with the casualties reported on Saturday in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Idukki, Pathanamthitta, and Chengannur districts.

The India Meteorological Department forecast on Saturday afternoon that widespread rains, with heavy rains at isolated places, is likely to continue over Kerala following low-pressure area very likely to develop over northwest Bay of Bengal and the neighbourhood during the next 24 hours.

Barring Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, and Kasargode, the remaining 11 districts of Kerala continued to be on red alert following prediction of more rains.

The worst affected places include Aluva, Chalakudy, Chengannur, Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta, where massive rescue operations were on as scores of persons were rescued.

Media houses continued to be flooded with requests from friends and relatives of those stranded in affected areas.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held a review meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kochi. In a memorandum submitted to the Centre, Vijayan said that the death toll in rain-related incidents since May 29 had climbed to 357. Over 3.53 lakh affected persons had been lodged in over 2,000 relief camps, he said.

Modi sanctioned Rs 500 crore to the flood-battered state, apart from Rs 100 crore announced earlier by the Centre on August 12, before returning to Delhi after an aerial survey of the affected areas.

Vijayan told the media here that the situation is "very serious and grave".