Kerala rains: Toll rises to 22, Centre offers assistance

October 18, 2021 61 Views No Comment

New Delhi, October 18 (PTI): The death toll in incidents related to heavy rains, including landslides and flash floods in Kerala rose to 22 on Sunday while Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered assistance to the southern state to tackle the situation.

22 bodies, 13 from Kottayam district and 9 from Idukki were recovered from various rain-hit areas while National Disaster Response Force teams continued their rescue operations.

The casualties occurred on Saturday due to landslides and flash floods in the hilly areas of Kottayam and Idukki districts following heavy rains, officials said.

In the high range Idukki district, where a travel ban is in place due to inclement weather, District Collector Sheeba George said two persons are still missing.

“Till now, we have recovered nine bodies. Two people are missing,” she said.

PM Modi called Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and discussed the situation arising out of the rains.

‘Spoke to Kerala CM Shri @vijayanpinarayi and discussed the situation in the wake of heavy rains and landslides in Kerala. Authorities are working on the ground to assist the injured and affected,’ Modi tweeted.

‘I pray for everyone’s safety and well-being,’ he said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Centre will provide all possible assistance to the people of Kerala, who have been affected by heavy rains and resulting floods.

He tweeted that the government was ‘continuously monitoring the situation in parts of Kerala in the wake of heavy rainfall and flooding’.

State Revenue Minister K Rajan said an assistance of Rs 4 lakh will be given to the relatives of those who have lost their lives.

Officials said the bodies of three children buried under the slush were recovered in Idukki’s Kokkayar after intense rescue efforts.

Children, aged eight, seven and four, were found holding 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.

At Koottickal in Kottayam district, a family of six including three girl children aged 14, 12 and 10 were killed as their house was swept away in the landslide.

Bodies of three people were recovered Saturday and the remaining were found by the rescuers on Sunday.

Many hapless families in the high range hamlet were displaced and became inmates of rehabilitation camps.

Several elderly villagers said it was for the first time in their lives they were experiencing such intense rainfall.

Meanwhile, a scientist at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) claimed that the brief, intense rain spells in some regions in Kerala indicated mini cloudbursts, a factor that also led to casualties, damage and loss of properties.

Citing more than 5 cm rain received in two hours in worst affected areas of Idukki and Kottayam districts, S Abhilash of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, CUSAT said it was a ‘mesoscale mini-cloudburst type of event’.

Mini cloud bursts are marked by intense short spells which may not exceed 10cm in one hour-a classical definition by India Meteorological Department.

The Indian Navy said a helicopter from Naval Air Station, INS Garuda was launched in the morning to drop relief materials to the affected people.