Heavy monsoon rains in India claim 67 lives

The death toll from the worst floods in nearly a century in the Indian tourist state of Kerala rose to 67 as rising water stranded tens of thousands of people and forced the closure of one of its main airports.

Indian authorities have suspended all flights at Kochi international airport for three days as severe monsoon flooding took a growing toll in Kerala state on August 15, 2018.
AFP

Indian authorities have suspended all flights at Kochi international airport for three days as severe monsoon flooding took a growing toll in Kerala state on August 15, 2018.

Torrential monsoon rains have disrupted air and train services in the southern Indian state of Kerala, where flooding, landslides and bridge collapses have killed at least 67 people in the past week, officials said on Wednesday.

The international airport at Kochi, a major port city, suspended flight operations until Saturday after rains flooded the runway.

Authorities asked tourists to stay away from the popular hill station of Munnar in Idukki district because of flooding. Kerala is a popular tourist destination with scenic landscapes, waterfalls and beautiful beaches.

People also have been asked to avoid the Sabarimala hill shrine as the water level in the nearby rain-fed Pampa River was rising. Sabarimala, a Hindu pilgrimage centre in the mountain ranges of Pathanamthitta district, attracts around 45 million devotees every year.

Reuters

The Indian Meteorological Department has forecast heavy to very heavy rain in the state until Saturday, and it has issued a "red alert" for 12 out of its 14 districts on August 15, 2018.

Krishna Kumar, a relief official, said there will be no immediate respite for thousands of people in state-run relief camps with more rain and winds forecast until Saturday.

Heavy rains forced state authorities to release excess water from dozens of reservoirs, causing floods downstream. The flooding has submerged vast areas in 12 out of 14 districts in the state.

With another 25 deaths reported across the state on Wednesday, Kerala state officials put the death toll since August 8 at 67, the NDTV channel said.

Monsoon rains kill hundreds of people every year in India. The monsoon season runs from June to September.

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