Death toll in rains in Kerala touches 39

The toll in rain-related incidents in Kerala has climbed to 39, with 11 more deaths being reported from various parts of the state during the last 24 hours, officials said on Thursday.

More than 90,000 people have been shifted to relief camps, they said.

Among the districts from where deaths have been reported are the worst-affected Alappuzha and Kottayam, besides Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kannur and Kasaragod, State monitoring cell officials said.

Though there was some respite from the rain in some places, water-logging in low-lying areas has thrown normal life out of gear.

Over 95,540 people have taken shelter in 564 relief camps across the state, officials said.

In Alappuzha district, 50,836 people have been shifted to relief camps while in Kottayam 28,135 people are in camps.

According to officials, 116 lives have been lost since the onset of the South West Monsoon on May 29.

The second spell of rain since July 9 has claimed 39 lives.

It is a nightmare for people living in low-lying areas, especially in Kottayam and Alappuzha districts, as the water level has not receded.

Many had to leave all their belongings and shift to relief camps when surging rain water entered their houses and damaged all that they had.

An elderly woman, who was waiting to go to the Gulf, has lost her passport in the rain.

Some have lost their ID cards, including Aadhaar, they said.

The MG University has cancelled its examinations to be held on Thursday and Friday.

The Kottayam collector has declared holiday for educational institutions in various taluks and municipalities in the district for Friday.

The meteorological department has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in the state for the next three days.

Ernakulam, Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad are likely to witness heavy to very heavy rain, while Alappuzha, Kottayam, Thrissur and Palakkad districts are likely to get heavy rain.

Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Pathanamthitta districts are likely to get only light to moderate rain.

The Southern Railway said the 20 kmph speed restriction imposed on three rail bridges at Ettumanur-Kottayam section has been relaxed due to receding water level.

The Engineering department is continuously monitoring water level under seven bridges in Kayamkulam-Kottayam-Ernakulam stretch, it said.

The Tirunelveli-Palakkad Palaruvi Express has been partially cancelled between Tirunelveli and Kollam, the Southern Railway said.

The Kerala government has sanctioned Rs 113.19 crore for relief works and also sought Centre's assistance.

The state has also asked the Centre to send a team to the affected state to assess the situation.

According to figures released by the state control room on Thursday morning, the highest number of deaths since the onset of monsoon is from Kozhikode (20), followed by Kannur (15), Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram (8 each), Kottayam and Ernakulam (6 each), it said.

Over 10,000 hectare of crop has been lost in the last two months, it said.