Heavy rains, landslides and flash floods continued to batter South India on Friday, with the situation in Kerala’s Wayanad and Karnataka’s Kodagu region remaining grim.
At least 42 people were killed in Kerala over the past 24 hours as heavy showers pounded the state’s northern districts, triggering landslides and flash floods.
In Karnataka’s Kodagu, seven people died in rain-related incidents, pushing the total toll in the state to 25.
The toll in the two states could go up as several people are feared trapped in the slush. At least 40 people are feared to have been trapped in Wayanad and Malappuram, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.
Vijayan, who chaired a high-level meeting on Friday to review the situation, said landslips and mudslides were reported from 24 places.
The day also saw authorities scrambling to evacuate people residing in low-lying areas as many rivers in the estate are in spate.
Heavy rain and release of water from dams in Maharashtra made matters worse for people in the Krishna basin districts, including Belagavi which has been the worst affected.
WATCH: Kerala rain triggers landslides in Wayanad, rescue ops hampered
Overflowing rivers and landslides have cut off-road and rail connectivity in many districts.
The Mysuru-Ooty highway was blocked by the overflowing Kabini river while the Charmadi Ghat remained closed to traffic due to landslides.
Road connectivity was hit at several places in Hassan, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu and Belagavi districts.
Flight operations too were affected as services between Bengaluru and Kochi were suspended. The Kochi airport is shut till Sunday, as floodwater has entered the runways.
Over a lakh, flood-affected people have so far been evacuated in Karnataka, even as Tamil Nadu has sought IAF support for rescue activities in rain-ravaged Nilgiris district.
