Kerala Floods: 417 dead, 36 missing; 8.69 lakh people rescued

Thiruvananthapuram: Heavy rains and unprecedented floods in Kerala have claimed 417 lives and 36 people are still missing, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced on Friday.

Vijayan told the media that 265 deaths were reported since torrential downpour enveloped the state on August 8 while other fatalities happened from the start of the monsoon rains on May 29.

The Chief Minister said a total of 8.69 lakh people were still sheltered in 2,787 relief centres in the state. He said some 7,000 houses were destroyed in the floods and another 50,000 partially damaged.

Vijayan urged people impacted by the floods to submit to the government details of the losses they have suffered.

Vijayan told the media here that the flood victims could log on to the Kerala government website and provide the details.

He said NGOs were going around taking pictures of the material losses on mobile apps.

The Chief Minister announced that Rs 10,000 would be given to every person in the relief centres. This money would be transferred to their bank account.