The official death toll from major floods in Kerala hit 106 yesterday with reports of even higher numbers amid warnings of more torrential rainfall.
“The official toll now is 106 dead. A total of 1,331 camps have been opened across the state, in which 147,000 people have moved in by this evening,” a Kerala state disaster management official said.
With a major rescue operation launched to help thousands of people trapped by the floods, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state now faces an “extremely grave” crisis.
“The water level is rising, and most villages and towns are under water,” Vijayan told reporters after a review meeting.
“It’s possible the Pampa river may rise by 1m, and the situation remains grim. We have asked people living within half a kilometre to move out to safety.”
The Cochin International Airport which receives 1,460 flights a week will remain shut until 2pm on August 26 due to “very high flood situation,” an official said.
“Key essential facilities like runway, taxiway, apron and navigation aids remain submerged,” corporate communications manager P S Jayan said.
Hundreds of extra troops were deployed across the state after Vijayan appealed for additional help. Officials have said more than 6,500 people are stranded and need rescue.
Several appeals for help were relayed over social media. 
“Added anguish as stranded people plead for rescue on social media and their phone batteries die out on them,” Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said on Twitter.
Tharoor shared a Facebook post by a resident, Devika Sreekumar, who said he was trapped on the third floor of a temple.
“Over 36 people including myself and family stranded here. Phone network and charge finishing please help in any possible way,” Sreekumar said.
Authorities said many people were trapped inside their houses in flood-ravaged areas and more than 147,000 people had already moved to around 400 relief camps. 
A government statement said the water in 80 dams had now reached “maximum level”.
Authorities have already opened the gates of at least 34 reservoirs and dams in recent days as water reached dangerous levels.
Opposition Congress Party leader Ramesh Chennithala urged the army to take control of the search and rescue operations from the State Disaster Management Authority.
After visiting many affected areas over the past two days, Chennithala said five helplines in his office were also getting flooded with distress calls from stranded people.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he requested him to visit the state, send more forces and allot funds for battling the crisis.
“The situation is so serious that the state agencies are finding it increasingly difficult to deal with the crisis,” he said.
With rain still pouring down heavily, especially in the higher reaches of the Western Ghats where most of the dams are situated, the chief minister said special forces personnel deployed would speed up rescue and relief operations across the state.
“Today there are 52 different teams of the army, air force, navy, coast guard and NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) present. With additional teams coming, we feel rescue operations would be speeded up,” Vijayan said.
Pathanamthitta district in central Kerala continued to be the worst affected over the last 24 hours as thousands of people – including students, women and the aged – trapped in their homes in the towns of Ranni, Aranmula and Kozhencherry.
Around 30 people from Pathanamthitta were air-lifted earlier yesterday and brought to the state capital.




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