Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Kerala chief minister Pinrayi Vijayan and discussed the rain and landslide situation in the state in which about 18 have died.  Offering condolences to the bereaved families, PM Modi said the loss of lives due to heavy rain and resultant landslide in saddening. “Spoke to Kerala CM Shri @vijayanpinarayi and discussed the situation in the wake of heavy rains and landslides in Kerala. Authorities are working on the ground to assist the injured and affected. I pray for everyone’s safety and well-being,” PM Modi tweeted. 

Latest updates of Kerala rain situation

Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday assured of all possible central help and said the Centre is continuously monitoring the situation in Kerala.”We are continuously monitoring the situation in parts of Kerala in the wake of heavy rainfall and flooding. The central govt will provide all possible support to help people in need. NDRF teams have already been sent to assist the rescue operations. Praying for everyone’s safety,” tweeted Shah.

Heavy rain battered the state since Friday night leading to fatal landslides in Idduki, Kottayam. With the rescue work on, the toll is going up, while the rain has subdued in the state. The India Meteorological Department said yesterday’s low-pressure area over Southeast Arabian Sea and adjoining Kerala has become less marked and now seen as a trough from south interior Karnataka to south Tamil Nadu at lower levels. “Under its influence, isolated heavy rainfall very likely over Kerala and Mahe on 17th October 2021 and significant reduction thereafter,” it said.

The overnight rain created havoc in the state with heart-rending videos emerging from the state. As of now, a yellow alert has been issued by the IMD for the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram and Kozhikode.

“NDRF teams have been deployed to Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Malappuram districts. Directions have been issued to deploy five additional teams to Idukki, Kottayam, Kollam, Kannur and Palakkad districts. Two choppers of the Air Force from Coimbatore have reached Thiruvananthapuram,” chief minister Vijayan said.

In the wake of the crisis, the state government has postponed the higher secondary exams which were scheduled to begin on October 18.   In an early morning operation, NDRF teams have rescued nearly 80 people who were stranded in waterlogged areas of Pathanamthitta district. Weather officials had said Peerumedu in the hill district of Idukki received 24 cm rain till 5.30pm on Saturday. Automatic weather stations in North Paravur reported 38mm rain, Muvattupuzha (89.5mm), Palluruthy (34 mm) and Neeleswaram in Northern Kerala district had received 125.5mm of rain till 8.30 PM on Saturday.

(With agency inputs)