Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], Aug 9 (ANI): Around 28 people have died and 27 others sustained injuries following incessant rains and overflowing of rivers in several parts of Kerala, said the government on Friday.

A statement from the Chief Minister Office (CMO) said: "Statewide 28 people have lost their lives and other 27 have sustained injuries following the heavy rains causing a flood-like situation in the state. So far seven persons went missing."

Around 19 trains have been cancelled following the flood-like situation in several parts of the state.



Earlier in the day, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held a review meeting of the disaster management activities.

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

Rescue operations are underway by the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF), Army and the local police.



The Ministry of Home Affairs held a high-level meeting on the flood situation, a day after Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha took stock of the current situation, preparedness, rescue and relief operations in Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat. (ANI) </s> The death toll from floods in the Indian states of Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra rose to 147, state authorities said on Sunday, as rescue teams raced to evacuate people and waters submerged parts of a world heritage site.

Heavy rain and landslides forced hundreds of thousands of people to take shelter in relief camps, while train services were cancelled in several flood-hit areas.

In the southern state of Kerala, at least 57 people were killed in rain-related incidents while over 165,000 people were in relief camps in the state, state authorities said on Sunday.

"Several houses are still covered under 10-12 feet deep mud. This is hampering rescue work," state chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.

Authorities worried that rescue operations would be hit by thunderstorms and rainfall predicted in some parts of Kerala.

Last year, more than 200 people were killed in Kerala and over five million affected in one of worst floods in 100 years in the state. </s> KOCHI/BENGALURU (Reuters) - The death toll from floods in India's states of Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra rose to 95, official figures showed on Saturday, as heavy rain and landslides forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate their homes.

Seasonal monsoon rains from June to September are a crucial lifeline for agrarian Indian society, delivering 70% of the country's rainfall, but they also bring in their wake death and destruction every year.

Some 42 people died in southwestern Kerala and over 100,000 affected people have been evacuated, the central government's disaster management cell said, after 80 landslides hit the state in two days.

The state planned to open the gates of Banasurasagar dam in Wayanad district at 0930 GMT, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said during a news conference in the city of Kochi. Shutters of the dam were partially opened on Saturday morning to manage the water level and avoid serious damage, a senior state official of the district confirmed to Reuters.

A red alert, or severe rainfall and bad weather conditions forecast, has been issued for seven out of 14 districts in the state, the Kerala State Disaster Management control room told Reuters on Saturday.

Last year, Kerala was hit by one of its worst floods in one hundred years. More than 200 people were killed and over 5 million affected.

The state's busiest airport, Cochin International Airport, has been closed since Friday as the taxiway is water-logged. The airport is expected to reopen from Sunday as water levels had started to recede, the state body said.

In neighbouring Karnataka, home to India's tech hub Bengaluru, some 24 people have died in what chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa said on Saturday were the worst floods in 45 years.

Around 1,024 villages have been inundated due to the rains, several dams were reaching their full capacity, and over 200,000 people had been evacuated, he added.

As many as 16 of the state's 30 districts have been affected by the heavy rains and 235,105 people have been evacuated and shifted to 624 relief camps, Yeddyurappa added.

In Maharashtra, home to India's financial capital Mumbai, 29 people have died this week.

The Indian Meteorological Department said on its website that heavy to very heavy rain was likely to lash isolated areas of Kerala, parts of Karnataka and Maharashtra, and some southern states might also see extremely heavy rain on Saturday. </s> The death toll from floods in the Indian states of Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra has risen to at least 147, according to authorities, as rescue teams raced to evacuate people and waters submerged parts of a world heritage site.

Heavy rain and landslides forced hundreds of thousands of people to take shelter in relief camps, while train services were cancelled in several flood-hit areas.

In the southern state of Kerala, at least 57 people were killed in rain-related incidents while more than 165,000 were in relief camps in the state, local authorities said on Sunday.

"Several houses are still covered under 10-12 feet deep mud. This is hampering rescue work," state chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.

Authorities worried that rescue operations would be hit by thunderstorms and rainfall predicted in some parts of Kerala.

"People are facing a lot of problems. Water has come from all directions, water has entered all the houses," a rescued local, Ajeet Pattankudi, told Reuters News Agency.

Last year, more than 200 people were killed in Kerala and over five million were affected in one of the state's worst floods in 100 years.

Residents are being evacuated from their home to a safer place following floods warnings, on a wooden boat in Kochi [AFP]

In Karnataka, several structures at the world heritage site Hampi, an ancient town, were flooded.

So far, 60 people have died in rain-related incidents, said state chief minister BS Yediyurappa, adding nearly 227,000 people were staying in relief camps.

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In Maharashtra, where the death toll stood at 30, the flood situation was improving, according to state-run All India Radio, though authorities said it would be difficult to restore rail services in some flood-hit areas within the next two weeks.

While Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra have been the worst hit this year, several other states including Gujarat, Assam and Bihar have also seen heavy damage due to floods.

India's main opposition Congress party on Sunday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide relief packages.

Citing media reports, the party said so far this year 446 people have been killed in six flood-hit states including Assam, Bihar and Gujarat.

"Despite the mammoth loss of lives and displacement caused due to floods, the government is failing to realize the gravity of the flood fury," it said in a statement. </s> Dozens of people have been killed, and tens of thousands more evacuated, after "unprecedented" flash flooding in a tourist hotspot in southern India.At least 37 people have died since heavy monsoonal rains first struck the state of Kerala on Wednesday, the state's relief commissioner P.H. Kurian told CNN on Sunday. The area, located on the tropical Malabar Coast, is famed for its network of idyllic waterways . Another 40,000 people living in low-lying areas have now been evacuated to 350 relief camps, as the downpour caused landslides and overflowed reservoirs.Monsoon rains are to be expected in India this time of the year. But after days of abnormally heavy rains, authorities on Friday opened the shutters of water reservoirs in an effort to prevent potentially disastrous breaches.explained Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a statement Friday.the minister added.Over 400 rescue workers from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed to help with the relief effort, according to the Indian Home Ministry.More members of the army, navy and coast guard have also been sent in to assist.While the rain has eased in recent days, more heavy rains are expected, according to Indian Meteorological Department. A number of tourists were also caught up in the flooding, including 54 holidaymakers who were rescued from the Plum Judy private resort on Friday.CNN's Sugam Pokharel reported from New Delhi, Sheena McKenzie wrote in London. </s> The death toll from floods in the Indian states of Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra rose to 147, state authorities said on Sunday, as rescue teams raced to evacuate people and waters submerged parts of a world heritage site.

Heavy rain and landslides forced hundreds of thousands of people to take shelter in relief camps, while train services were cancelled in several flood-hit areas.

In the southern state of Kerala, at least 57 people were killed in rain-related incidents while over 165,000 people were in relief camps in the state, state authorities said on Sunday.

“Several houses are still covered under 10-12 feet deep mud. This is hampering rescue work,” state chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.

Authorities worried that rescue operations would be hit by thunderstorms and rainfall predicted in some parts of Kerala.

Last year, more than 200 people were killed in Kerala and over five million affected in one of worst floods in 100 years in the state.

In Karnataka, several structures at world heritage site Hampi, an ancient town, were flooded.

So far 60 people have died in rain-related incidents, said state chief minister B S Yediyurappa, adding nearly 227,000 people were staying in relief camps.

While Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra have been the worst hit this year, several other states including Gujarat, Assam and Bihar have also seen heavy damage due to floods.

In Maharashtra, where the death toll stood at 30, the flood situation was improving, according to state-run All India Radio, though authorities said it would be difficult to restore rail services in some flood-hit areas within the next two weeks.

Citing media reports, the Congress party said so far this year 446 people have been killed in six flood-hit states including Assam, Bihar and Gujarat.

“Despite the mammoth loss of lives and displacement caused due to floods, the government is failing to realize the gravity of the flood fury,” the Congress party said in a statement on Sunday. </s> The death toll from floods that have triggered landslides and sent torrents sweeping through villages in the Indian state of Kerala trebled Friday to 324, authorities said, amid warnings of worse weather to come.

Kerala has been battered by record monsoon rainfall this year and is "facing the worst floods in 100 years", chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a Twitter statement, adding that 324 lives had been lost so far.

With thousands still trapped, power and communication lines down and fresh alerts of further torrential rain, authorities warned of more trouble ahead and further deaths to come.

"We are deploying more boats and army to ramp up rescue operations," senior state government official P.H. Kurian said.

More than 30 military helicopters and 320 boats are attempting rescues across Kerala.

Authorities said thousands of people have been taken to safety so far but 6,000 more are still waiting for rescue. </s> NEW DELHI: As many as 774 people have died in incidents related to floods and rains in seven states during the monsoon season so far, the Home Ministry said today.According to the Home Ministry's National Emergency Response Centre (NERC), 187 people have lost their lives in Kerala, 171 in Uttar Pradesh, 170 people in West Bengal and 139 in Maharashtra due to the floods and rains in this monsoon season. As many as 52 people lost their lives in Gujarat, 45 in Assam and eight in Nagaland.A total of 27 people were also missing in Kerala (22) and West Bengal (5), while 245 others received injuries in rain-related incidents in the states.The deluge and rains have hit 26 districts in Maharashtra, 23 in Assam, 22 in West Bengal, 14 in Kerala, 12 in Uttar Pradesh, 11 Nagaland and 10 in Gujarat.In Assam, 11.45 lakh people have borne the brunt of the rains and floods, which also hit crops in 27,552 hectres of land.Altogether 15 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are engaged in rescue and relief operations in Assam, the NERC said.A team of the NDRF comprises 45 personnel.Eight NDRF teams were deployed in Uttar Pradesh, eight in West Bengal, seven in Gujarat, four each in Kerala and Maharashtra and one in Nagaland.The MeT department has issued alerts for 16 states, including Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.The situation remained grave in Kerala even as the rains relented on Sunday. As per the latest report, the water level in the Idukki dam, recorded at 5 am today, was 2397.94 feet. (The Full Reservoir Level of the dam is 2403 feet.)So far at least 39 people have been killed and thousands of people have been accommodated in relief camps set up in different areas.The weather department has issued a 'Red alert', asking people to be cautious as there was a possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall in most places in Idukki, Wayanad, Kannur, Ernakulam, Palakkad and Malappuram districts.Rajnath Singh told the media that the state has witnessed the worst ever situation since 1924 and there has been all round damage caused to crops, homes, properties besides tourism activities and the lives of one lakh people have been affected.The minister said that considering the grave situation, "I have made an immediate release of Rs 100 crore" and a new central team would be sent soon for the assessment of the damages. Singh also met a delegation of the Congress-led opposition besides leaders from his party also.Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan had on Sunday submitted a memorandum to the visiting Union home minister Rajnath Singh seeking Rs 8,316 crore as a special package for dealing with the situation.After heavy overnight rains, most of the roads in the interiors of Himachal Pradesh remained closed to traffic on Monday, stranding hundreds of travellers and commuters.Reports said five persons were buried under a landslide in Kandaghat area in Solan district. One of them reportedly died as rescue work was still on at the time of writing this report.An official said the road network in the higher reaches of Kinnaur, Shimla, Chamba, Mandi, Kullu and Sirmaur districts was the worst affected and efforts were being made to reopen it.The Chandigarh-Manali National Highway-21 has been closed for vehicles near Mandi town. Likewise, the Chandigarh-Shimla National Highway-5 was hampered near Jabli town in Solan district.As a precautionary measure, all schools and educational institutes in Shimla and Mandi district have been closed for the day.According to the MeT office here, moderate to heavy showers have occurred in most parts of the state since Sunday.The weather office has forecast heavy rains across the state till Tuesday.The Badrinath National Highway in Uttarakhand is also closed since last night at Lambgarh after heavy rains brought down debris onto the road. The road clearing operation by the local administration is underway.As per the forecast, the state will experience heavy to very heavy rainfall in its various districts in the coming few days.With the Cauvery in spate following heavy discharge from Mettur dam, the Tamil Nadu government on Monday said district administrations concerned were taking all safety measures in the wake of the alert issued by CWC.Official sources said heavy inflow of 1.34 lakh cusecs from two Karnataka reservoirs resulted in Mettur dam crossing its full level of 120 feet this morning.A flood alert has been issued to Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Karur Tiruchi, Thanjavore, Pudukkottai, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Thiruvarur, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam.Evacuation of people from low-lying areas among other steps are being taken up by respective district officials, the minister said adding that revenue, disaster management and district officials are on high alert. </s> A total of 164 people have been killed in torrential rains that have been lashing the southern Indian state of Kerala for over a week, prompting the authorities to issue a red alert in the region, official sources said Friday.

Kerala's National Disaster Management Authority spokesperson P.H. Kurian told EFE that the number of victims nearly doubled over the last few hours due to floods and landslides caused by the rain.
Authorities in India say that 350 people are confirmed dead in the heavy floods in Kerala.