Kerala rains: Over 34,000 people housed in relief camps

A day after heavy rains battered Kerala, low-lying areas in the central districts remained flooded and four more deaths in rain-related incidents were reported.

Kottayam is the worst-hit district in what has been one of the southwest monsoon's most active spells in the state, which peaked over the past couple of days.

Train services through the district were affected till Tuesday evening. A holiday has been declared for educational institutions in the district on Wednesday. Some of the train services in other parts of the state were also delayed or rescheduled.

Waterlogging was reported in many areas in Alappuzha and Idukki districts. More than 34,000 people are reported to have been shifted to rehabilitation camps across the state.

The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority issued an alert on Tuesday, advising against travel in hilly areas due to possible landslips.

Munnar in Idukki district recorded the day's biggest rainfall at 9 cm. The Meteorological Centre in Thiruvananthapuram has forecast heavy rainfall till Saturday. Storage in the state's 16 major dams stood at 71% of their capacity on Tuesday.

The southwest monsoon set in over Kerala on May 29. Between June 1 and July 17, the state received a cumulative rainfall of 1270 mm, 18% more than the long period average.