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Kerala Floods: Displace More Than 800,000 And Leave Almost 370 Dead

India’s state Kerala is currently suffering from the worst flooding in the century. Authorities said, “More than 800,000 people are displaced, and almost 370 have died. Rescue efforts are in progress to search for the missing.

Flooding in Kerala:

A heavy rainfall that started on 8 August 2018 triggered the flood and landslides, causing many homes and bridges to collapse across Kerala, a state with attractive tourism sites famous for its figurative backwaters and alluring beaches.

Rescue Efforts :

Thousands of rescuers and volunteers are carrying out efforts to outreach the stranded people and provide relief supplies to distant areas with the help of hundreds of boats and two dozen helicopters.
Almost two trains carrying about 400,000 gallons of water have reached the affected areas from nearby states of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra on Sunday. The disaster management officials requested the authorities saying,”What we require according to the current situation is bottled water, which is easy to transport to remote and isolated places, where some people are still stranded.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi examined the flooded areas from a helicopter on Saturday and met the state’s top officials, assuring the assistance of more than $70 million. While the central government has posted multiple military units to Kerala, state officials are still requesting for more help.

Many affected flood victims have posted appeals on social media, informing that they cannot pass through to rescue services.

Weather departments have alarmed the authorities about more rains across the state.

Damage Caused by the Flood:

In many areas, corpses of dead cattle are seen drifting in muddy waters as rain continues to pour. Numerous villages are entirely gone; with a vast number of crop fields and many vehicles were too overflown.

Officials evaluated that more than 10,000 kilometers of roads have been destroyed. Major airports in the state are also damaged due to flooding and are expected to remain closed until 26 August 2018. The Indian government announced that a naval air base in the city of Kochi would be opened for commercial flights starting on Monday morning.

Initially, Officials have estimated the storm damage at nearly $3 billion, which is now expected to rise. Previous reports declared that at least 250 people have died in the flooding, with 31 missing; however, according to the current situation, the death toll has reached to 370 with 800,000 people sheltered and a huge number missing.

On Sunday, in Vatican City, Pope Francis held a moment of silence during the noontime blessing to pray for Kerala flood victims.

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