Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi arrived in Kerala on Sunday for a tour of his flood-affected constituency of Wayanad and said that he has approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought his help for the state.
Wayanad has been one of the badly hit districts in the rains in Kerala, along with Malappuram and Kozhikode. A total of 12 deaths have been reported in Wayanad and around 37,075 people have been displaced and shifted to more than 210 relief camps.
Rahul Gandhi on Sunday visited Kavalappara in Malappuram district, where a whole village was swept away in a massive landslide. About 63 people including 20 children have gone missing. He also visited the relief camps in the area.
"It's a tragedy and all must help Kerala. I have spoken to the Prime Minister to seek help. He has agreed to help," said Gandhi soon after attending a review meeting at the Malappuram collectorate. He will tour the Wayanad and Kozhikode districts on Monday, before returning to Delhi.
According to Asianet report, Rahul Gandhi will visit six flood hit regions in Kozhikode district after which he will go to Puthumala in Wayanad which was hit by a massive landslide. As of now, about 10 people have been found dead from the area. He will also visit affected regions like Panammaram, Meppadi, Meenangadi and Munderi in Wayanad district and will also take part in a review meeting at the district collectorate.
As per reports, though Rahul Gandhi expressed satisfaction on the rescue operations being conducted, he suggested that relief camps need more facilities.
Twenty three people have lost their lives in Malappuram in landslides and floods, and about 17 people have died in Kozhikode district so far.
(With inputs from IANS)