KOCHI: On Day Four of the current bout of flooding, there was a sense of urgency in evacuating the thousands stranded. According to government figures, more than 20,000 have been taken to safety, but the real worry for the state is a few thousand are still in danger, desperately awaiting rescue. Though water started receding in some parts of the state with the dams reducing the outlow, water started entering new areas, adding to the agony and despair of the victims.
Two towns, Pandalam in Pathanamthitta district and Thalayolapparambu in Kottayam were marooned on Saturday as Achankoil and Muvattupuzha rivers changed course and flowed into the towns triggering panic among residents.
The woes of flood victims stranded in towns like Chengannur, Pandalam, Thalayolapparambu, Aluva and Paravur seemed never-ending as rescue workers were not able to reach them due to heavy flow. The accounts of people rescued from these places paint a disaster of greater proportion. With 38 more deaths reported till Saturday evening, the death toll rose to 204.