Kerala rains: 39 deaths, six missing, 217 houses destroyed: CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 20: A total of 39 people have died due to devastating landslides and flash floods in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in the assembly on Wednesday.

Vijayan expressed profound grief over the rain-related calamities and said that apart from 39 deaths, six people are missing and 217 houses were destroyed after the heavy rains battered several areas of Kerala.

"Thirty-nine people, who would have lived for many years, had killed in the four days of torrential rains, floods, and landslides. The tragedy has caused irreparable loss to their family members. The House is sharing their pain with a broken heart," the Chief Minister said in the Assembly.

Meanwhile, the session stands cancelled in the wake of the fresh rain alert and the MLAs have to take part in the flood relief programmes. The House is scheduled to be convened again from October 25.

The Kerala CM said that the tragedy was unbearable not just for the families, but also for the entire state and assured grieving families that the government would never ignore them

Since 11 October, Kerala had been receiving excessive rains and there was a slight dip in its intensity in the last two days.

CM Vijayan further claimed that 11 NDRT teams are camped in different districts and army personnel are taking part in the rescue operations.

With the India Meteorological Department warning of heavy rains for two-three days, water from the dams is being released in a controlled manner after informing the district administration, he informed. With inputs from PTI