As many as 10 people have lost their lives and a few others are reported missing as incessant rain continues to pummel the South Indian state of Kerala since Sunday.
On Tuesday morning, the body of a two-and-a-half-year-old child was found around 200 meters away from the house in Kannur, where three more deaths have been reported.
The State Disaster Management Authority has classified four districts- Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Pathanamthitta, and Kasargode under Orange alert, while the remaining 10 districts of the state are under red alert.
Rain activity has shifted from southern districts to the northern as Tuesday saw central and northern districts getting heavy rain.
Educational institutions in several districts have been given a holiday on Tuesday.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said the rule curve at all the dams is under constant monitoring and the authorities concerned will be taking the appropriate decisions at the moment things are all control.
Across the state, 35 relief camps have been opened and the hilly district of Idukki has the maximum number of camps.
After nearly three hours of spirited fight, a wild elephant, caught in the flooded Chalakudy river in Kerala, managed to wade to safety on Tuesday.
With the river in spate and none from the Forest team able to reach anywhere near the wild elephant, all the officials could do was watch it putting up a tough fight.
According to locals, the elephant had been swept away close to 2 km in the river and then launched a counter operation and used its trunk to locate rocks on the base. After struggling for close to three hours, it finally managed to re-enter the forest.
Forest officials had a difficult time clearing a large crowd that had gathered to watch the elephant caught in the fast-flowing waters.
However, not everybody was happy with his victory. Angry local residents who have been tormented by these wild elephants which cause huge damage to their farmland were hoping that the water takes away the wild elephant.
“If this is taken away by the waters, we will be saved as there will be one wild elephant less attacking us. The officials have been unable to do anything to save us from these wild elephants,” said an angry local.
