Kerala floods:  red alert issued by IMD to Kochi airport shut till Saturday

The death toll in Kerala has climbed to 67 as the state is reeling under one of the worst floods in its history. In Pic: Athirapally waterfalls
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan confirmed that the rain fury claimed 25 lives on Wednesday. More than 1.5 lakh people have been lodged in relief across the state, Vijayan said, adding that the heavy rains would continue for some more days, which will further worsen the situation.
For the first time in history, the state has opened 35 of its 39 dams.
Kochi metro service has been suspended due to rising water levels. The service will be resumed once the water recedes.
Indian Navy said it has deployed 21 rescue and diving teams with inflatable ‘Gemini’ boats as the flood situation further worsened across Kerala today due to the heavy rains. In Pic: Rescuers evacuate people from a flood-hit locality, in Thiruvananthapuram. (Source: PTI)
A red alert has been issued in all the 14 districts of the state.
A holiday has been declared for August 16 for all the educational institutions barring Kasaragod district while colleges and universities have postponed exams, according to officials. In Pic: People wade through a flooded road following flash floods, triggered by heavy rain at Derisanamcope in Nagercoil. (Source: PTI)
With persistent rainfall disrupting Kerala’s road and train services and forcing the Cochin International Airport to remain shut till Saturday, flight ticket prices have skyrocketed.
Complaining that Tamil Nadu engineers are not cooperating, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has sent an email to his Tamil Nadu counterpart requesting to reduce the Mullaperiyar water level to 139ft citing inflow to the reservoir is more than the releasing quantity of water. In Pic: A rescuer carries an infant as people are evacuated from a flood-hit locality in Kochi. (Source: PTI)
Submerged area near Cochin International Airport after incessant rainfall in Kochi on Wednesday. (Source: PTI)