Kerala rains LIVE UPDATES: An aerial view of flood-hit areas of Aluva in Kochi, Friday. (PTI)
Kerala Rains Highlights: The heavy downpour resulting into flooding and landslides has claimed 57 lives in Kerala, PTI reported. While twenty people have been killed in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts, and nine have died in Wayanad since August 8. Over one lakh people have been moved to 988 relief camps across the state. In the worst affected Wayanad, where heavy rains still continue, at least 24,990 persons are in relief camps.
Predicting more rains across Kerala, the India Meteorological Department Friday sounded a red alert in eight districts — Ernakulam, Idukki, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, Kasaragod — and warned of “excessively heavy” rains at isolated places in these areas.
Read Kerala weather live updates here
Incessant rains over the last two days have affected train services across the state. Kochi Airport Friday said it would resume operations from 12 noon tomorrow. Over 20 trains have been cancelled, while several were diverted from its route.
Kerala rains Highlights: A red alert in sounded in four districts. (Source: Twitter/CMOKerala)
Highlights
The Centre has assured Kerala Governor P Sathasivam that it will consider providing a "liberal support" to the flood-ravaged state, even as Union minister V Muraleedharan said on Saturday that a central assistance of Rs 52.27 crore was being provided to the state. In a press release, the governor said Union Home Minister Amit Shah had informed him that the Centre would consider providing a "liberal support" to Kerala in view of the flood situation in the southern state.
The Centre's assurance came after the governor submitted a report to Shah on the damage caused by the flood and landslides, the status of the rescue operations and the present situation in the state, the release said. Sathasivam also apprised the Union home minister of the situation in the state over phone and sought more support for the relief operations in the landslide-affected areas of Malappuram and other districts. (PTI)
Train No. 19577 Tirunelveli – Jamnagar Biweekly Express train of 10.08.19
Train No. 12284 H. Nizamuddin - Ernakulam Duronto Express train of 10.08.19
Train No. 11097 Pune - Ernakulam Poorna Express train of 10.08.19
Train No. 16319 Kochuveli - Banaswadi Humsafar Express train of 10.08.19
Train No. 16306 - Kannur - Ernakulam Intercity Express of 10.08.19
Train No. 12484 - Amritsar - Kochuveli Weekly superfast Express train of 11.08.19
TrainNo. 16649 Mangalore - Nagercoil Parasuram Express train of 11.08.19
TrainNo. 16605 Mangaluru Central Nagercoil Ernad Express train of 11.08.19
Train No. 16308 Kannur - Alappuzha Executive Express train of 11.08.19
Train No. 56664 Kozhikode-Thrissur Passenger train of 11.08.19
Train No. 66611- Palakkad - Ernakulam MEMU train of 11.08.19
Train No. 16792 - Palakkad-Tirunelveli Express train of 11.08.19
(Source: Southern Railways)
Heavy downpour in Kerala has claimed at least 57 lives so far, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a tweet. The state has been rocked by 80 landslides over three days and around 1318 relief camps are in operation across the state, which host over 1.65 lakh people. The IMD issued an alert for three districts —Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod.
A before and after visual of Nilambur town which was waterlogged until this morning. Nearly 75 per cent water has receded and people are engaged in cleaning activities to bring life back to normalcy.
(Express photo by Vishnu Varma)
Nine bodies retrieved from the landslide at Kavalappara near Nilambur out of which seven are female and two males. Seven of them have been identified so far and they were brought to the district hospital in Nilambur. At least 40 people still reported to be trapped under the rubble, a senior police officer informed.
Wayanad District Collector AR Ajayakumar in a statement to ANI, said, "The situation is totally under control at present, there is no need to panic. Apart from a major landslide reported in Puthumala near Meppadi, no other such major incident has been reported." Meanwhile, IAF helicopters continue rescue operations in the flood-affected areas of Malappuram.
Around 75% water has receded from Nilambur town which was completely submerged water till today morning. People are engaged in cleaning slush and mud from their shops and homes. Bus transport to Nilambur is completely suspended and only trains are operating. Nilambur town is 30 km away from the major landslide site of Kavalappara.
(Express photos by Vishnu Varma)
CIAL has decided to resume operations ahead of schedule from 12 pm tomorrow as recovery works were found effective and the runway is intact with no marks or tears. The operations earlier were scheduled to resume at 3 pm tomorrow but in a review meeting which was conducted today at 2 pm, the officials inferred after thorough inspection that the airport is operational. Recovery operations in the T3 apron which is the most affected area, the partially affected T1 apron and that of a 100-meter portion of the southern Perimeter security wall which collapsed already began yesterday. Out of the stranded 8 aircraft, 6 were pushed back on the runway by using one taxiway link between 10 am and 12 noon today. All the 24 airlines have been briefed to facilitate services from tomorrow on schedule.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan had tweeted informing that Banasurasagar dam's shutter would be opened at 3 pm today and said, "No one should panic. Residents on both sides of the Karaman Canal must be on guard. Steps have been taken to resettle those who live on the banks of the canal. And for those who have not yet moved, must resettle soon."
The Southern Railway on Saturday announced operation of special trains to and from Kerala, which is facing torrential downpour and floods, to clear stranded passengers. However, services remained affected in the Palakkad and Trivandrum divisions for the second day, with the Southern Railway announcing cancellation of 15 trains in these routes, covering various destinations. On Saturday, the Southern Railway announced the operation of specials between Ernakulam-Chennai, Chennai-Kollam and Bengaluru-Kollam. (PTI)
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a Red alert for 8 districts and Orange alert for 6 districts of the state for today. A Red alert has been issued for 3 districts and Orange alert for 6 districts for tomorrow.
(Express photos by Vishnu Varma)
Operations at the Cochin International Airport to resume at 12 noon tomorrow.
Southwest monsoon has been vigorous over Kerala for the past four days. A decrease in intensity of rainfall is expected over Kerala for the next five days from today. A fresh Low-Pressure Area is likely to form over northwest Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood around August 12, 2019.
Rahul Gandhi would be visiting his parliamentary constituency Wayanad in Kerala, which is currently ravaged by heavy rains.
Train services have also been disrupted due to flooding and trees falling on rail tracks. Southern Railways has cancelled several trains, including the Kannur-Alapuzha Express, on Saturday. Many trains have been partially cancelled with routes cut short to avoid the flooded areas. Mangaluru–Nagercoil Parasuram Express has been cancelled between Mangaluru and Wadakkanchery, Mangaluru–Nagercoil Ernad Express has been cancelled between Mangaluru and Thrisur, Thiruvananthapuram–Hyderabad Sabari Express has been cancelled between Thiruvananthapuram and Coimbatore. The Kannur–Thiruvananthapuram Jan Shatabdi Express has been cancelled between Kannur and Shoranur.
Besides Wayanad, the continuous rains have triggered multiple landslides and overflowing rivers have caused flooding in several parts of Malappuram, Kannur and Idukki in north and central Kerala. Several areas in Thrissur and Kannur districts are waterlogged with many having been moved to relief camps. The deluge continues in the state even as it grapples to fully recover from the extensive damage caused by the floods of August, 2018 that claimed over 400 lives and left lakhs of people homeless.
Wayanad Sub Collector N S K Umesh, "The area is dangerous. What we understand is that 15 people are still missing," he said, adding search operations by Army and National Disaster Response Force personnel are underway. With water levels rising, there is a possibility of opening the shutters of Banasurasagar dam, officials have indicated. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said on Friday that the dam could be opened any time. The district administration is likely to take a decision in this regard after reviewing the situation this morning.
As Kerala continues to battle the torrential downpour lashing its shores, the death toll has risen to 42 in rain-related incidents, including flooding and landslides, with over one lakh people moved to relief camps, officials said on Saturday. Twenty people have been killed in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts, and nine have died in Wayanad in rain-related incidents since August 8, officials said quoting reports received till 7 am. In 988 relief camps across the state, 1,07,699 persons have been shifted. In the worst affected Wayanad, 24,990 persons are in such camps, they said.
At the Cochin International Airport, Apron water level is receding. the cleaning operations have started. The airport also successfully carried out the ferry operation. Three out of eight stranded aircraft have been departed.
The Met department has issued a red alert in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Idukki, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts.
Shutters of seven small dams under the state electricity department and six others under the irrigation department were opened. The situation in Wayanad, where landslides were reported, is likely to become worse when the shutters of Banasurasagar dam are opened. People in flood and landslide-prone areas should move to safe locations as per the direction of the rescue workers, he said. Road and rail connectivity have been badly hit.
As heavy rains continue to wreak havoc in Kerala, the Southern Railways Saturday cancelled a number of trains and diverted a few due to disruptions in their movement. Incessant rainfall in the state has claimed at least 28 lives, leaving 27 others injured and seven missing. Check the train schedules here!
Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac tweeted: Kerala, the Monsoon gateway to India , for the second consecutive year misses the rain in June- July and then come the downpour and floods in August. Drought gives way to floods. Climate change?"
Army personnel have rescued a newborn baby from flood-hit Wayanad.
The state disaster management authority confirmed 28 deaths till Friday evening. As many as 738 camps have been opened across Kerala, offering shelter for 64,013 people from 15,748 families. The situation remained grim as the IMD predicted extremely heavy rain in seven districts, especially in the northern region, for the next two days. The CM said rain is likely to subside after Sunday, but may show its fury again in Kerala after August 15.
The UAE has issued a travel advisory to its citizens who are either in Kerala or intend to visit the state to exercise extreme caution in the light of heavy rains, which have caused damaging floods in many areas and killed 28 people. According to the UAE's official news agency, Wam, the advisory urges the citizens to follow instructions issued by the Indian authorities in connection with the natural calamity. "In a second advisory, the Consulate, based in the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram, has urged the UAE citizens visiting Kerala to register with the diplomatic post so that it can keep track of them and ensure their safety and welfare," Wam said.
Extremely heavy rain continued to lash Kerala, wreaking havoc in the northern regions of the state, where a series of landslides and flooding were reported for the second consecutive day. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the media that a hill in Malappuram district has come apart, and it is feared that 40 people are trapped under the debris. “So far, three bodies have been retrieved and two could be saved. Rescue operations are going on there even though accessibility to the landslide spot has been hamstrung by the adverse weather,” he said. Read More
A flood-affected boy carries his dog as he and others are moved to a safer place in Paravur in Ernakulam district in Kerala. (REUTERS/Sivaram V)
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan spelt out statistics and said 28 people have died, leaving 27 others injured. Following the heavy rainfall, around seven people are missing.
IMD predicts heavy to very heavy rainfall for the next four days. The temperature has been appreciably low from -3.1°C to -5.0°C. The off-shore trough at mean sea level from south Maharashtra coast to Kerala coast persists, IMD stated.
Here is the list of trains that have been cancelled in Kerala by Southern Railways:
1. Train No.16343 Thiruvananthapuram – Madurai Amritha express train of 09.08.2019 is fully cancelled.
2. Train No.16188 Ernakulam – Karaikkal Tea Garden express train of 09.08.2019 is fully cancelled.
3. Train No.16526 Bengaluru – Kanniyakumari Island express of 09.08.2019 is fully cancelled.
4. Train No.16320 Banaswadi – Kochuveli Humsafar express of 09.08.2019 is fully cancelled.
5. Train No.12696 Thiruvananthapuram – Chennai Central express train of 09.08.2019 is fully cancelled.
6. Train No.22640 Alappuzha – Chennai Central express train of 09.08.2019 is fully cancelled.
7. Train No.16316 Kochuveli – Bengaluru express train of 09.08.2019 is fully cancelled.
8. Train No.16344 Madurai – Thiruvananthapuram Amritha express train of 09.08.2019 is fully cancelled.
9. Train No.16187 Karaikkal – Ernakulam Tea Garden express train of 09.08.2019 is fully cancelled.
Seven districts - Ernakulam, Idukki, Malappuram, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur - have been given code red rain alerts for tomorrow (August 10) and predicted to get 'isolated heavy to very heavy' rainfall. Additionally, five districts have been classified under code orange alerts with 'isolated heavy' rainfall. The alerts have been issued by the Met Department.
The state disaster management authority confirms that the death toll in the last two days in rain-related incidents has climbed to 27, out of which nine have been reported from worst-hit Wayanad district.
At the same time, the number of relief camps has gone up to 505. These camps together house 43,665 people. The data is as of 3 pm Friday.
At least six persons died due to the flood in Wayanad Friday, including four men, one woman and a child, the Defence Security Corps (DSC) said. Around 150 people have been rescued, including a pregnant woman, while 250 have been moved to a safer place. The DSC also informed villagers across the overflowing Nallah in the same area are safe and have adequate food supplies. The people in the village will be rescued tomorrow in case the water receded in the Nallah.
Special passenger trains have been scheduled from Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam which will leave Thiruvananthapuram at 4 pm today and another train from Ernakulam Town to Thiruvananthapuram will leave Ernakulam Town at 3 pm today, Southern Railways stated in their press release.
Here is a list of trains that have been partially cancelled:
1. Train No.16606 Nagercoil – Mangaluru Ernad express train of 09.08.2019 partially cancelled between Thrisur – Mangaluru.
2. Train No.12617 Ernakulam – Hazrat Nizamuddin Mangala express train of 09.08.2019 partially cancelled between Vallathol Nagar – Hazrat Nizamuddin.
3. Train No.12522 Ernakulam – Barauni Raptisagar express train of 09.08.2019 partially cancelled between Wadakkanchery – Barauni.
4. Train No.17229 Thiruvananthapuram – Hyderabad Sabari express train of 09.08.2019 partially cancelled between Ernakulam - Hyderabad.
5. Train No.22659 Kochuveli – Dehradun express train of 09.08.2019 partially cancelled between Kottayam – Dehradun.
6. Train No.16346 Thiruvananthapuram – Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Netravathi express train of 09.08.2019 partially cancelled between Changanassery – Lokmanya Tilak Terminus.
7. Train No.16382 Kanniyakumari – Mumbai CSMT Jayanthi Janatha express train of 09.08.2019 partially cancelled between Changanassery – Mumbai CSMT.
8. Train No.12625 Thiruvananthapuram – New Delhi Kerala express train of 09.08.2019 partially cancelled between Kayankulam – New Delhi.
9. Train No.19331 Kochuveli – Indore express train of 09.08.2019 partially cancelled between Kayankulam – Indore.
10. Train No.16650 Nagercoil – Mangaluru Parasuram express train of 09.08.2019 partially cancelled between Angamali – Mangaluru.
11. Train No.12076 Thiruvananthapuram – Kozhikkode Jan Shatabdi express train of 09.08.2019 partially cancelled between Chalakkudi - Kozhikkode.
Trains have been suspended in most parts of Kerala due to flooding, trees falling on rail tracks and consequent disruption of rail traffic, Southern Railways said.
Here is a list of trains that stand cancelled:
Kochuveli – Yesvantpur express train (Train No.22678), Mangaluru – Thiruvananthapuram Maveli express (Train No.16603), Chennai Central – Thiruvananthapuram AC express (Train No.22207).
Two trains have been diverted from their daily routes, including Kanniyakumari – Jammu Tawi Himsagar express and Kanniyakumari – Bengaluru Island express. Both have been diverted to run via Tirunelveli.