Thiruvananthapuram/Kochi: Rain fury on Wednesday continued unabated in Kerala, where 47 people have died so far, with the Kochi international airport suspending operations till Saturday after water gushed inside the airport area. Train services remained suspended in many parts of the state.
By Wednesday afternoon, India Meteorological Department (IMD) extended the red alert to all 14 districts in the state. IMD forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in the state for the next 24 hours.
Operations at the Kochi airport have been suspended till August 18 and flights were being diverted to various airports.
Airlines including IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet have announced suspension of their operations to Kochi.
"All flights to/fro Kochi, stand cancelled till Aug 16, 2018 due to runway unavailability owing to flood situation. For cancellations/rescheduling, please visit bit.ly/2ndGnZ8 We hope everything gets normal soon," IndiGo said in a tweet.
Air India tweeted, "In view of suspension of operations at @KochiAirport, penalties on no-show, date/flight change or cancellations on all confirmed tickets to and from Cochin are waived off. Pax may contact #airindia call centre or #airindia website."
Rail traffic hit
A landslide between Kuzhithurai and Eraniel stations has delayed four trains - Guruvayur-Chennai Egmore Express, Kanyakumari-Mumbai CSMT Express, Dibugarh-Kanyakumari Vivek Express and Gandhidham-Tirunelveli Humsafar Express, railway sources said.
A few passenger trains have been partially hit and rail traffic on Kollam-Punalur-Sengottai section has been suspended due to adverse weather conditions.
On Thiruvananhtapuram-Thrissur section, trains will be delayed due to speed restrictions due to rise in water levels in rivers and lakes.
The engineering department is continuously monitoring the safety of bridges, railways said.
According to weathermen, heavy rainfall accompanied by gusty winds with speed reaching 60 kmph, is expected in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kozhikode districts.
Rivers in spate, toll rises
From Kasaragod in the north to Thiruvananthapuram in the south, all rivers are in spate, shutters of several dams, including Mullaperiyar, have been opened.
In the high-range Idukki district, an 85-year-old woman was killed in Elakkal and a 52-year-old woman died in Keerithode when mounds of earth fell on their homes.
A man from Tamil Nadu was killed Tuesday evening when earth fell on a hotel in Munnar where he was working while six other employees were rescued.
In a similar incident, a couple and their six-year-old son were killed when earth fell on their house at Kondotty in Malappuram district early Wednesday.
A fisherman was electrocuted in Thrissur after he came in contact with a live electric wire.
Hill stations closed
Tourist hill stations including Athirappally, Ponmudi and Munnar closed and restrictions put in place for tourists. Periyar, Chalakkudypuzha and Pampa rivers were overflowing in central Kerala, while the water level in Killiyar, Karamanayar, Vamanapuram rivers and Parvathyputhanar canal in Thiruvananthapuram district are steadily rising.
Incessant rain and strong winds have battered the high ranges of Thiruvananthapuram, including Nedumangadu, Bonacaud and Neyyattinkara area, since last evening.
The low-lying areas of the capital city including Gowreesapattom and Kannanmoola are under water, hitting hard normal life.
At least 18 families have been stranded in Gowreesapattom here as the area remained inundated.
A joint team of police and fire service personnel is trying to rescue them, many of whom have sought refuge on the roof of two-storey buildings.
The water overflowing from Amayizhinchan canal has caused the unprecedented water logging in places like Gowreesapattom.
Unabated rains have forced the state government to do away with the official 'Onam' celebrations and the amount set apart for the purpose would be utilised for relief operations.
Governor P Sathasivam also decided to cancel the reception to be hosted by him on Wednesday as part of Independence Day celebrations due to the floods in the state.
Ayyappa devotees have been asked not to visit the hill shrine at Sabarimala as the rain-fed Pampa rose menacingly.
The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the shrine, the district authorities and the police have issued alerts to devotees and decided to stop them at various points till the water receded.
