Kerala toll mounts to 29; over 53,000 in relief camps

Even as the latest spell of southwest monsoon lowered in intensity on Friday, the death toll in rain-related incidents in Kerala over the past couple of days rose to 29.

Of the deceased, 25 died in landslips and four by drowning, officials said. Across the state, 53,501 people from 12,240 families are housed in 439 relief camps. Relentless rain since Wednesday has destroyed 29 homes and partially damaged 71 homes.

Though the battered northern districts recorded marginally lower rainfall on Friday, the damage trail remained severe. The Wayanad district administration has opened 113 relief camps. Camps are also open in Palakkad (19), Kozhikode (18), Malappuram (13), Thrissur (13), Idukki and Kannur (10 each) districts.

The NDRF has stationed 14 teams across the state. A 90-member NDRF team from Arakkonam and a 15-member team from Guntur have reached the naval base in Kochi. Navy divers are stationed in Malappuram and Wayanad. Two army columns are positioned in Nilambur in Malappuram and Devikulam in Idukki. A red alert for extremely heavy rainfall has been issued till August 14 for Wayanad, till August 13 for Idukki and August 11 for Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Palakkad and Malappuram.