8 Dead In Heavy Monsoon Rains In Kerala, Nearly 8,000 In Relief Camps

Eight people died in heavy rain unleashed by the Southwest Monsoon in Kerala, which has also displaced over 7,800 people from their homes.

Even as the intensity of the rains reduced on Friday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for Kannur and Kasaragod districts while there is a yellow alert in six other districts of Kerala for today. However, no red alert was sounded, indicating a drop in rainfall.

The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said two deaths each were reported from Kannur and Kozhikode while one death each was reported from Alappuzha, Palakkad, Malappuram and Kasaragod districts.

As many as 7,844 persons have been accommodated in 203 relief camps opened across the state, it said, adding that 51 houses in the state have been fully damaged while 1,023 houses are partially damaged due to the intense rains and the resulting floods.

Earlier in the day, a minor landslide at the Gap road stretch of the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway in Munnar blocked traffic.

"The stretch will be cleared soon, but it will remain closed tonight. It will be open to traffic in a regulated manner on Saturday," a senior district official from Idukki, told PTI.

The Thrissur district administration had opened the shutters of the Peringalkuthu Dam earlier in the day and warned people living on the banks of the Chalakudy river to remain cautious as the water level may rise as a result.

A red alert indicates heavy to extremely heavy rains of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while an orange alert means very heavy rains of 6 cm to 20 cm of rain. A yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 to 11 cm.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)