India: Severe flooding kills 324 in Kerala /update 3

Event

Kerala state (south) remains impacted by severe flooding ongoing since August 8. Rising water levels in recent days have forced the opening of several dams, leading to flooding in Eloor, Companypady, Pulinchodu, and Kalamassery. As of Friday, August 17, at least 324 people have been killed in the flooding and associated landslides. In addition, at least 223,000 people have been evacuated to humanitarian relief camps. The most severely affected districts include Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kozhikode, and Kannur; Idukki remains completely cut-off due to flooded roads. Power and mobile communication outages continue to be reported in parts of the state capital Kochi, where Cochin International Airport (COK) is scheduled to remain closed until August 26. Metro services in the city were suspended on August 16. Heavy rain is forecast in Kerala through at least Monday, August 20.

Advice

Individuals present in India are advised to continue to postpone nonessential travel to Kerala. People currently present in the state are advised to keep abreast of local weather forecasts, anticipate localized flooding and associated road hazards, and adhere to any instructions issued by local authorities.