Kerala has been witnessing incessant rainfall over the last few days, causing unprecedented flooding and landslides in several parts of the state.
So far, 324 people have lost their lives in the state due to flood.
Red alert has been issued for 11 districts. Heavy rainfall is predicted for the day in alldistricts except Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kasaragod.
In Chengannur, helicopters, military boats and fishing boats are being used as part of rescue operations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an immediate financial assistance of Rs 500 crore to the rain-battered Kerala, after reviewing the flood situation in the state.
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Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh per person to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF), a Prime Minister's Office (PMO) statement said.
"The prime minister announced a financial assistance of Rs 500 crore to the state. This is in addition to Rs 100 crore announced by Home Minister Rajnath Singh on August 12," it said.
After a high-level review meeting in Kochi, the prime minister made an aerial assessment of the damage caused due to floods in some of the affected areas of the southern state.
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He was accompanied by Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Ninister K J Alphons and officials during the aerial survey in the worst-hit Aluva-Thrissur regions.
Expressing grief over the unfortunate deaths and damage caused to property due to floods, the prime minister observed that rescue of people who are still marooned remains the topmost priority.
Modi, after an overnight stay in the state capital, left for Cochin in the morning for the aerial survey and the review meeting to get a first-hand knowledge of the enormity of the mayhem caused by the southwest monsoon.
Meanwhile, rains lashing several parts of the state since morning is causing concern as it could hamper the rescue and relief operations.
According to the Home Ministry's National Emergency Response Centre (NERC), over 2,11,000 people in 14 districts have been badly hit by the rains and floods, and over 32,500 hectares of crops damaged.
(Photo: PTI)
Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Kerala Chief Minister Pinayari Vijayan and assured that he will visit the flood-hit state to review the situations. The Centre has also launched massive rescue and relief operations as the situation in the state is getting worse with each passing day.
The rescue operations have also been stepped up in the state to evacuate people from the flood-affected situation.
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Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been asked to mobilize additional manpower, boats and helicopters to scale up the rescue and relief operations. Food packets and drinking water are also being rushed.
(Photo: PTI)
Hundreds of people, including women, children and the elderly trapped in places inaccessible by boats were winched up by defence helicopters and shifted to safety.
Meanwhile, a red alert was sounded in 13 districts of Kerala, except Kasaragod. A read has been sounded for Ernakulam and Idukki districts for Saturday as well.
President of UAE Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan ordered formation of an emergency committee to provide aid to Kerala.
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TV channels telecast disturbing visuals of a woman in labour being pulled up with the help of a rope dropped down from a Navy chopper, swinging violently in the air.
The woman, whose amniotic sac was ruptured, was shifted to a Navy hospital where she gave birth to a baby boy.
Both the mother and the child are doing fine, officials said.
Desperate non-resident Keralites from Australia, the US and the UK were making fervent pleas to authorities through television channels seeking help for their dear ones.
Soumya from Australia said her parents and their relatives were stranded in Aluva for the past two days.
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Another said an elderly relative Mary Varghese was badly in need of an oxygen cylinder and her condition was worsening.
In a WhatsApp video, a stranded woman with her 6- year-old child was seen pleading for help.
"We have no food or water. Please help us."
Vijayan, who also spoke to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, said on Friday night the situation continued to be "grave" with over 3.14 lakh people from over 70,000 families sheltered in relief camps.
He said since May 29, when the South West Monsoon set in over Kerala, 385 persons have lost their lives. Though there was some let up in rains at a few places, four districts of Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur remained in the throes of the monsoon fury.
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Officials said many private hospitals in Ernakulam district are running out of oxygen, forcing the authorities to shift patients to nearbyfacilities. Many had to be evacuated after flood water entered hospitals.
People in relief shelters also complained about dearth of food and drinking water.
Quite a few petrol pumps, even in places like the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, which has escaped the monsoon fury to some extent, have run dry.
Long queues of motorists were seen at several fuel stations in Thiruvananthapuram district. Authorities have directed each of these fuel bunks to keep in reserve 3,000 litres of diesel and 1,000 litres of petrol at all times for relief operations.
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Local fishermen have also joined in the rescue mission with their boats and could be seen evacuating those marooned in places like Aluva, Kalady, Perumbavoor, Muvattupuzha and
Chalakudy.
Several roads in the hill district of Idukki, including in picturesque Munnar, have been badly damaged from a string of landslides. Wayanad, among the worst-hit by the floods, is cut off
from the rest of Kerala. The Kochi airport is shut with rain water flooding the
runways.
Several trains were either cancelled or rescheduled, sources said. Services on the Kochi Metro are, however, unaffected. The weatherman has forecast heavy rain and gusty winds in various parts of the state.
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Winds packing speed up to 60 kmph are likely in Pathanamthitta, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad districts.
