On Friday, The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) told that their teams have moved over 4,000 people to safer places and rescued another 44 from flooded areas in Kerala during the past 9 days of its rescue efforts. NDRF said that the rescue operations have become difficult as many regions have been cut off due to landslides, reported PTI.
Kerala has witnessed one of the worst disasters in 100 years. Several rescue and relief operations are carried out in the flood-hit state. Many properties have been pulverised along with the loss of lives, while several people are still stranded in the deluge.
State Disaster Management Authority officials revealed in Thiruvananthapuram that at least 100 people died only on Thursday due to the calamity that has struck the state.
The death toll has risen to 324 people with several people suffering from injuries.
Due to the constant rains in the state, dams and reservoirs are overflowing, flooding most of Kerala.
An NRDF spokesperson apprised about the situation, saying that out of the total 53 teams of NDRF deployed in the state, 51 of them are involved in ground operations. Two more teams will soon reach Kerala.
PTI quoted, “So far, over 4,319 persons have been evacuated and 44 people have been rescued by our teams since their deployment in Kerala. Operations are still going on”, the spokesperson informed.
He added that in spite of bad weather conditions and deluge, NDRF teams will ensure “access and reach” to every afflicted person.
The National Crisis Management Committee, the highest body which handles emergency crisis, met yesterday and directed agencies to increase the supply of resources to the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took an aerial survey of Kochi today, with the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The PM tweeted, “In Kerala, I took stock of the situation arising in the wake of the devastating floods across the state. Joined a review meeting and undertook an aerial survey to assess the damage caused by flooding. The nation stands firmly with Kerala in this hour.”
The Prime Minister has announced immediate flood relief of Rs 500 crore for the state. This is in addition to the 100 crore declared by Home Minister Rajnath Singh on August 12.