Death toll from Kerala rains climbs to 21, search operations underway

At least 21 people have died so far in Kerala after the catastrophic rains and flash floods ravaged the state. The Kottayam and Idukki districts are facing the most devastation, reporting 13 and eight casualties respectively, news agency ANI reported.  

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Officials said bodies of three children were found buried under slush. The children, aged eight, seven and four, were found holding onto each other. 

Kerala Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, who visited Kokkayar and Koottickal, alleged that the state government failed to launch rescue operations in time in the affected areas.

Meanwhile, the heavy rains subdued a day after it wreaked havoc in the state. “Under its influence, isolated heavy rainfall very likely over Kerala and Mahe on 17th October 2021 and significant reduction thereafter,” it said.

Earlier today, the NDRF and the Army began rescue operations in and around the Koottickal and Kokkayar panchayats. About a dozen of people are reported missing in the area after constant rains caused flash floods and landslides in the state. 

Bodies of two women and a child were recovered from Koottickal on Saturday following rescue operations in a separate rain-related incident on Saturday. Meanwhile, a man and a woman, both 30-years old– died as their car was swept away in the floodwaters in Kanjar in the Idukki district.

A red alert was issued in five districts of Kerala while an orange alert was issued in some seven districts of the state in view of incessant rain on Saturday.

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A Defence spokesperson said an Army team that arrived at Kottayam has started a search operation for the missing persons in the debris.

Apart from that, Navy chopper with relief materials has also been airborne from INS Garuda in Kochi and headed towards rain-affected areas.

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Two Air Force Chopper Mi-17 arrived and were on standby at AF Station, Shangumugham, Thiruvananthapuram, she said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan via a Facebook post said relief camps have been opened in the disaster-struck regions for those rescued from the region.

He directed the authorities concerned to ensure that the camps are functioning adhering to COVID-19 health protocols.

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“Those in the camps should ensure the use of masks and that social distancing is maintained. Authorities should calculate the maximum number of people who can be accommodated in the camps. The district authorities can increase the number of camps in case more people are required to be accommodated,” Vijayan said.

The high ranges of central and south Kerala have experienced almost similar to that of the situation the state faced during the time of devastating floods of 2018 and 2019.

Meanwhile, several social media users also shared video clips and images featuring the havoc wreak by rains in different parts of Kerala.