The southern Indian state of Kerala is reeling under the worst natural calamity it has faced in nearly a century.
Unusually heavy monsoon rains have left the state devastated, with landslides and flash floods killing nearly 40 people over the last one month. Thousands more across the state have been displaced.
Nearly 20,000 houses, and 10,000 kilometres of state roads are damaged, while the state government has estimated the financial cost of the disaster is at over Rs8,000 crore (over $1.2 billion), news agency ANI reported.
Following torrential rains, Kerala, for the first time in history, opened up all the gates of the Idukki reservoir dam built across River Periyar that flows through the state. This is one of Asia’s largest arch dams.
While the rain has let up over the last couple of days, the state remains under red alert as more rain is expected, and rescue teams from the army, navy, and air force, besides the National Disaster Response Force, have been deployed, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported.
Here are some images of the devastation in Kerala:
