Toll climbs to 41, central ministers to visit flood-hit areas

The death toll in rain related incidents in Kerala, has gone up to 41, with two people losing their lives in house collapse early today.

A man and his son were killed when their dilapidated mud hut collapsed in the heavy rains early today in Thrissur district, according to sources in the cell monitoring rain related incidents.

One person was missing in Alappuzha district.

A central team led by Union minister of state for Home, Kiran Rijiju and Tourism minister K J Alphons, will be visiting the worst hit Kottayam and Alappuzha districts besides Chellanam in Ernakulam tomorrow, sources said.

As many as 1.18 lakh people have sought refuge in 606 relief camps across Kerala, as rains continued to lash several parts of the state in varied intensity, official sources said.

A total of 50,836 people are now in 212 relief camps opened in Alappuzha while 37,657 are in 164 camps in neighbouring Kottayam, the two worst-hit districts in the state, till this morning, they said.

There was no respite from waterlogging at many places in the districts.

People, including women and children, were seen moving in waist-deep water.

As major roads are flooded and even state-run KSRTC buses have stopped services in many places, people were stranded in many areas of Alappuzha, including Muttar and Kainakari.

Scarcity of safe drinking water and possible threat of water-borne disease are also a cause of worry for the locals.

The meteorological department here has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at one or two places in the state till tomorrow.

Strong winds mainly from westerly direction with speeds occasionally reaching 35-45 kmph gusting to 60 kmph were likely along and off Kerala coast and over Lakshadweep area, it said.