A total of 72 people have lost their lives in the devastating landslides and floods due to heavy rains in the state so far. The highest number of causalities has been reported from Malappuram district, with 23 people dead. Seventeen people have lost their lives in Kozhikode and 12 in Wayanad district.
Though the heavy rains that lashed the state causing havoc in northern Kerala districts have reduced in intensity, a desperate search is still on for the 58 people who have gone missing in the state.
In Malappuram’s Kavalappara, about 63 people including 20 children had gone missing in a massive landslide. According to Manorama report, two more people – including a child - were found dead at Kavalappara on Sunday, taking the total number of deaths in the landslide there to 11. Rescue works are still ongoing to find the missing 52 people.
As of Monday morning, the death toll in Wayanad’s Puthumala reached 10 with one more missing person’s body found on Sunday. The rescue workers are continuing their search to find the seven persons missing.
As of Monday morning, a total of 2.6 lakh people have been shifted to various relief camps in the state. The maximum number of people that have been shifted to relief camps are from Malappuram and Kozhikode districts. A total of about 1,642 relief camps have been opened in the state according to latest figures, with 75,714 families in there.
According to reports, Alappuzha district in central Kerala is facing more trouble as the floodwaters are rising. In Alappuzha’s Kuttanad, about 500 houses have been inundated.
Meanwhile, in some relief for the state, the India Meteorological Department has predicted no red warning (indicating to take necessary action) for Monday, while an orange warning (indicating to be alert and prepared) has been issued for six districts. These are Kasargode, Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Idukki.