Heavy rains cause 39 deaths in two weeks in Kerala; over one lakh people seek refuge in relief camps

Thiruvananthapuram: As many as 1.18 lakh people have sought refuge in relief camps across Kerala, as rains continued to lash several parts of the state in varied intensity, official sources said on Friday. The second spell of monsoon rains, since 9 July, has so far claimed 39 lives in the southern state. The South-West Monsoon had set in over Kerala on 29 May. [caption id=“attachment_4784081” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] A total 50,836 people are now in 212 relief camps opened in Alappuzha while 37,657 are in 164 camps in neighbouring Kottayam, the two worst-hit districts in the state, till Friday morning, the sources said. There was no respite from waterlogging at many places in the districts. People including women and children, moving in waist-deep water, is a common sight now in many places. As major roads are flooded and even state-run KSRTC buses stopped services in many places, people were stranded in many areas of Alappuzha, including Muttar and Kainakari. Scarcity of safe drinking water and possible threat of water-borne disease are also a cause of worry for the locals. The meteorological department has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at one or two places in the state till Saturday. Strong winds mainly from westerly direction with speeds occasionally reaching 35-45 kilometres per hour, gusting to 60 kilometres per hour were likely along and off Kerala coast and over Lakshadweep area, it said.