Over 100 killed in just one day: Kerala floods

​Thiruvananthapuram: The flood situation in Kerala continues to remain precarious as the death toll from the fresh onslaught of rains since August 8 has climbed to 173. More than 100 people died in rain-related incidents during the last 24 hours, sources said, even as defence forces scaled up operations to rescue those stranded in the worst-hit areas. 

The deadliest deluge in close to a century has dealt a severe blow to the scenic state, wrecking its tourism industry, destroying standing crops in thousands of hectares and inflicting huge damage to infrastructure. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to reach Kerala later on Friday after the funeral of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He is likely to undertake an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas on Saturday.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had on Thursday said 23 more helicopters will join the rescue operations on Friday and 200 additional boats will also be pressed into service. Around 3,000 people were rescued from Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta districts on Thursday. Several people are stranded in buildings in various districts. 

Many of them, including children, were rescued from various waterlogged areas. "In one of the worst rain and flood disasters to hit Kerala, 106 people lost their lives on a single day," a source in the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority said.

Army, Navy, Air Force and NDRF personnel have begun rescuing people stranded in the worst affected areas of Ernakulam, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur districts from Friday morning.

Many elderly persons and women with young children were rescued since this morning. A weather report at 7 am has predicted heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds in various parts of the state during the next 24 hours.

Winds at the speed of 60 kmph are expected in Pathanamthitta, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad districts, the report said. 

On instructions from the Prime Minister, the Defence Ministry has rushed in fresh teams of the armed forces for relief and rescue operations in the state where over 150,000 homeless and displaced people are taking shelter in relief camps.