Kerala, 06 August 2013: Flash floods and landslides have left at least 20 people dead
and 20,000 displaced in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
Authorities shut
Kochi airport on Monday following torrential rains, while the government has opened
the majority of dams that neared their maximum capacity, causing rivers to burst their
banks.
The Kerala State Electricity Board, which oversees most dams, said in
a press release that the "water storage capacity of all the reservoirs reached 86
percent in the state," which was "unprecedented" for this time of the year.
Most
deaths were reported in the hilly Idukki district, where several landslides and flash
floods have occurred. At least 14 people, including some rescue workers, were buried
alive in there, officials said.
"Idukki has been cut off due to landslides
in several locations. National disaster Management Authority has dispatched four teams
for rescue operations,” Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told ucanews.com before leaving
for Idukki on Tuesday.
Chandy has convened an all-party emergency meeting for
Tuesday to discuss the area’s worst floods since 1991, which have adversely affected
road and air traffic.
“Around 56 international flights were cancelled and some
of them were diverted to other airports. We hope to resume flight operations by Tuesday
evening,” an airport authority press release stated.
Local leaders say people
fear more landslides in the hills. “Most of the towns have been flooded in the area.
People are scared. If the rains continue for another day, more landslides will happen,”
S Rajendran, a legislator from Idukki, told ucanews.com.
P Chandrashekharan,
from the Fire and Rescue Department, said that 10 vehicles are suspected buried in
the landslides.
In the Kuttanad area, 90 percent of the region is under water,
according to Thomas Isaac, the former finance minister of Kerala. Source: UCAN