Kerala Floods LIVE: Heavy rains continue, 42 killed, rescue operations on

08:27 August 10

Heavy rain and landslides in Wayanad and Kasargode and the death toll reaches 42

Educational institution will remain closed today in Kasargode district

Red alert has been issued in seven districts of the state and Banasura dam can be opened today

Rail transportation is completely disrupted in the region

22:28 August 09

Over 64,000 shifted into relief camps

Over 64,000 people have been shifted into 738 relief camps across the rain-battered state, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan added.

22:04 August 09

Official death toll at 28

With incessant rain in Kerala, the death toll has reached 28, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.

"These figures are till 3 p.m . The major message that we have to send out to the people living in worst affected districts is please listen to the authorities when they come with the message asking people to move to camps," Vijayan said here addressing the media on Friday evening after chairing a review meeting on relief and rescue operations.

19:21 August 09

Elephants battle strong currents, manage narrow escape

In a horrific scene, two wild elephants were seen being swept away by flood waters in Kerala. However, eyewitnesses said that the two pachyderms managed to cross over to the other side after struggling with the current.

18:56 August 09

People move to safety on makeshift boats

People in Ernakulam district, which is reeling under flood waters, were seen moving to safe locations on makeshift boats.

17:17 August 09

Rescue ops underway in Malappuram, 3 bodies pulled out

Around 30 families are feared trapped after a landslide occurred at Kavalappara, Nilambur in Malappuram district yesterday. The rescue team has reached the spot today. Search and rescue operation is currently underway. Till now, three bodies have been pulled out.

16:49 August 09

Medicines distributed at camp

Medicines being distributed

Medicines being distributed at a medical camp in Ezhikkara village of Kerala's Ernakulam district.

16:26 August 09

State govt sanctions Rs 22.5 cr as emergency assistance

The state government has sanctioned Rs 22.5 crore as emergency assistance to the distressed districts. The money will be taken out from the state disaster response fund. Wayanad, which is the worst-hit district, will receive 2.5 crores. 

15:54 August 09

Situation in Kerala has not deteriorated: DG NDRF

SN Pradhan, DG NDRF said, "The states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala are main areas of concern now and maximum deployments of NDRF teams are in these states."

"In Kerala overall, the situation has not really deteriorated, but there was an incident of landslide in Wayanad due to heavy rainfall," he added.

14:20 August 09

IMD issues red alert for nine districts in Kerala today

India Meteorological Department(IMD) issues 'red alert' for 9 districts of the state for today. Red alert have been issued for Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasargod districts.

13:52 August 09

Landslides in Kozhikode district

As the rain intensified, all the lower parts of the district are submerged.

Also, the situation is worst in rural areas as well as landslides occurred in the hill region
 

13:39 August 09

Massive Landslide in Wayanad Claims 6 lives

A total of 6 bodies have been recovered so far, from Meppadi in Wayanad district, where a landslide occurred yesterday.

13:10 August 09

Death toll in Kerala climbs to 31 due to floods

As heavy rains continued to batter various parts of Kerala, 31 people have lost their lives with over 22,000 people being shifted to relief centres.

12:04 August 09

Kerala iconic boat race postponed

Alappuzha boat race has been postponed due to heavy rainfall in the region.

12:01 August 09

Moderate to heavy rainfall in Kerala: IMD

High waves in the range of 3.2-3.7 metres are forecast till 23:30 hours of Saturday along the coast of Kerala from Pozhiyoor to Kasargod. Officials have advised fishermen not to venture into these areas during the period.

Moderate to heavy rainfall with wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph is very likely to at one or two places in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. 

12:01 August 09

Cochin Airport will remain close till Sunday

The Cochin International Airport, where flight operations was suspended till midnight Friday after floodwaters inundated the apron area (parking), will remain closed till 3 PM on Sunday.

Train services on the Mararikulam-Alapuzha route was suspended this morning for a few hours as a tree fell on the track, damaging electric lines. At least 4 trains -- Maveli Express, Rajdhani, Dhanbad express and Guruvayur -- were held up at various points.

10:11 August 09

NDRF rescues 60 people in Meppadi

60 people have been rescued by NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) from Puthumala near Meppadi in Wayanad.
Approximately 100 people have been rescued so far.

09:38 August 09

Streets Areekode town flooded due to rain

Streets in Areekode town of Kozhikode district are flooded due to heavy rainfall in the region.

Traffic movement through Pattambi bridge stopped, after the bridge was flooded due to overflow of Bharathappuzha river.

09:27 August 09

Water enters into houses in Muvattupuzha town

Water enters houses in Muvattupuzha town of Ernakulam district.

The region is reeling under flood due to rainfall.

09:04 August 09

Landslide claim two lives in Wayand

2 bodies were recovered during rescue operations at the site of a landslide in Meppadi in Wayanad district of Kerala.

Heavy, incessant rainfall caused the landslide to occur.

One person drowned yesterday in Kapila river near Kokkada area of Belthangady Taluk in Mangaluru.

09:01 August 09

Holiday announced for schools in Kerala

Kerala Government has declared that all the schools across the state will be closed for today. 

08:04 August 09

315 relief camps across the state : KDSMA

According to Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KDSMA) report, "22,165 people have been evacuated to safety and lodged in 315 camps across the state." 

Mysuru to Madikeri and Mysuru to H D Kote Road closed due to heavy rains and water overflowing.

08:00 August 09

LIVE: Heavy rains batter Kerala, rivers in spate, 8 killed

Thiruvananthapuram: A year after the devastating deluge, Kerala is once again being battered by heavy rains with landslips and floods wreaking havoc claiming eight lives on Thursday, while over 9,500 people have been shifted to relief camps.

A massive landsliphas been reported from Meppadi in the hilly Wayanad district where, according to a legislator, a temple, church, couple of houses and a few vehicles have come under soil and several people feared missing.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who chaired an emergency meeting this morning to take stock of the situation, said the state should be prepared for more downpour.

"Heavy rain has increased across most of Northern Kerala. The main threat will be across Nilambur and Wayanad.Red alerts have been issued for four districts.

Were keeping a close eye on the situation," Vijayan tweeted.

The chief minister's office has directed district collectors to evacuate people from danger-prone areas.

"We have requested more NDRF teams to be sent to the state. Already two teams have been sent to Nilambur and Idukki," a CMO release said.

All exams by the Kerala Public Service Commission and various Universities across the state, scheduled for tomorrow, have been postponed, officials said.

Kalpeta MLA C K Saseendran said the place where the landslip happened was inaccessible due to other similar cave-ins along the road.

He said he had already requested the Chief Minister to seek the Army's assistance for rescue operations.

"Landslide has happened at many places in Wayanad district. We came to know that a temple, a church, couple of houses and a few vehicles were hit in a massive landslide.

The trouble with that place is that it's quite inaccessible.I am trying to reach there....The roads are blocked due to landslips. We are worried. We are not able to share much details due to lack of information," the MLA said.

As 'red alert' has been sounded in northern districts of Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad and central Kerala district Idukki,as torrential rains submerged low-lying areas leaving people stranded in houses, IMD sources said.

The state government has sought the help of Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for rescue operations.

According to disaster management authority sources, three people from Idukki, one each in Kannur, Palakkad and Thrissur and two in Wayanad died in rain related incidents Thursday.

A one-year-old girl child was among the dead.

Barring Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts, educational institutions will remain closed in rest of the 12 districts on August 9 following heavy rains.

Besides road transport, train services were also disrupted across the state with most of the trains getting delayed by nearly five hours.

According to disaster management authorities, 13 NDRF teams would be deployed for rescue operations and five teams are already out on the mission.

With this, the toll has risen to 36 since the onset of the South West Monsoon on June 6, which arrived a week late.

Official sources said156 relief camps have been opened across the state.

The state government has asked tourists not to travel to high range areas including Idukki while restrictions have been imposed in Ponmudi, a hill station near here.

The popular forest tourist destination of Gavi in Pathanamthitta district has also been closed due to incessant rains.

The water level is rising in most rivers and dams with Kannur, Wayanad, Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kasaragod districts facing a flood-like situation.

Major rivers like Manimala, Meenachal,Moovattupuzha, Chaliyar, Valapattanam, Iruvazjinjpuzha and Pamba are in spate.

A large number of houses were damaged in heavy rains and strong winds which lashed the state since Wednesday.

Nilambur, a major town in Malappuram district, has been flooded and isolated, with water level rising up to the first floor of many a building.

Only roofs of shops and houses could be seen in many parts of the submerged town, where people were seen using country-made boats and large metal cooking vessels to row to safety.

Parked cars and other vehicles were submerged and nearly 200 families have been shifted to 10 relief camps.

In high-range Wayanad, which had witnessed heavy loss in the August floods last year, 87 relief camps have been opened and over 6,100 people have been shifted.

A landslide was reported from Chappamala at Iritty taluk in Kannur district.

Around 50 families have been evacuated from the taluk, where most places are submerged, since Wednesday night.

Munnar, a high range tourist destination in Idukki district, has been receiving heavy rain with the IMD recording 19.4 cm rain as per the latest report.

Widespread landslips were also reported from across the district with most major roads getting blocked and Marayur, the sandalwood forest reserve, almost being cut-off from the mainland.

People living on the banks of river Periyar including Aluva, have been asked to be more vigilant as water level was rising due to heavy rains.

Water has entered the famous Shiva temple situated on the banks of the Periyar, authorities said.

During last year's flood, many areas in Aluva were cut off from the mainland.

Reports from Kottayam district said many areas including Pala, Erattupetta and Mundakkayam are under flood threat.

Over 400 people were killed and lakhs displaced in the August deluge last year, the worst in the state's history in a century.