Kerala Floods: Death Toll Rises To 88, 40 People Still Reported Missing

The death toll in the Kerala floods rose to 88, as on Tuesday morning while 40 others were still missing. Over 2.52 lakh people have taken shelter in 1,332 relief camps across the state.

Thunderstorms, accompanied by rain and winds with speeds reaching 30-40 km/hour, are likely in Ernakulam, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Thiruvanathapuram and Alappuzha districts, India Meteorological Department said in a weather update for Kerala on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has left for the worst-affected districts of Malappuram and Wayanad from where 41 deaths have been reported in a series of landslides on Aug. 8.

"The government is with you... We need to overcome all difficulties and hardships together,” said Vijayan at a relief camp in Meppadi, Wayanad.

Accompanied by state Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan and Chief Secretary Tom Jose, the chief minister will also visit relief camps in Malappuram and hold discussions with people's representatives and officials.

According to an official update at 9:00 am on Tuesday, 88 people have lost their lives in various parts of Kerala since Aug. 8.

In Malappuram, which was hit by landslides triggered by downpour at Kavalappara and Kottakunnu, the death toll has climbed to 29, with 32 people still missing. Searches are being conducted in the area to retrieve the remains of the dead. As many as 45,377 people have been sheltered in 185 relief camps set up in Malappuram, the official update stated.

Twelve people have so far lost their lives and seven are missing in Wayanad district, which also witnessed a landslide at Puthumala in Meppadi.

At least 808 houses have been fully damaged and 8,459 partially in rain-related incidents.

Tuesday has been declared a holiday for educational institutions in five districts—Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Malappuram—and various university examinations have been postponed, state authorities said.

Wayanad Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi, who had toured the affected areas and relief camps on Sunday and Monday, promising all help to the people.

"It is a tragedy not only for Wayanad, but also for Kerala and also some southern states. This is not only a Wayanad issue, this is a Kerala issue, this is a Karnataka issue. The Centre needs to pay attention and aggressively support the people of these states," Gandhi had told reporters at Kalpetta on Monday.

Over 35,000 people are in 196 relief camps in Wayanad district.

Seventeen deaths have been reported from Kozhikode where over 43,000 people have shifted to 177 relief camps.

Though no 'Red Alert' has been issued for any of the 14 districts of Kerala, isolated heavy to very heavy rains are expected on Tuesday and Wednesday under the influence of low pressure over Bay of Bengal in southern parts of the state.

Six districts, however, have been put under 'Orange Alert', which means people should "be prepared" for an increased likelihood of bad or extreme weather that may disrupt road and air travel and threaten life and property.