Kerala Floods Live Updates: PM Modi take aerial survey, death toll rises to 324

1. Kerala flood LIVE: 370 dead; 1st commercial plane lands at Kochi naval base Commercial flight operations from Naval airport at Kochi commenced today with the first Air India flight from Bengaluru arriving this morning.

2. Kerala floods: The situation in the flood-ravaged state was gradually improving, even as some rainfall was forecast for the coastal state from Monday onwards. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, “heavy rainfall” is expected only in Kozhikode, Kannur and Idduki districts over the next four days. However, even as water recedes from major areas, authorities are gearing up to deal with the possible outbreak of water- borne and air-borne diseases. Commercial flight operations from the Naval airport at Kochi commenced today with the first Air India flight from Bengaluru arriving this morning. It is after 18 years that civilian flights are landing and taking off from the naval airport. The Indian Railways said that two special trains will be run on Monday from Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam to Kolkata and that the train services are expected to be restored on all lines in Kerala by Monday evening. The Railways would also provide blankets and bedsheets to the affected people in Kerala. In the worst ever torrential rains in Kerala in this monsoon season, 370 lives have been lost and 724,649 persons evacuated to 5,645 camps so far. K J Alphons on Kerala floods: There'll be no electricity in homes. Carpentry, plumbing would be gone. We need hundreds of thousands of electricians, plumbers, carpenatrs to rush to Kerala. We don't need clothes/food. People with technical capabilities are required to put life back into Kerala. Indian Navy steps up rescue, relief efforts in flood-hit Kerala On the night of August 19, Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mysore carried about 70 tonnes of relief material which includes bottled water, ready to eat meals, fresh ration, milk, biscuits and other miscellaneous things like medicines, essential toiletries, phenyl, gash bags, bleaching powder, and candles. The relief material also included items received from some NGOs situated in Mumbai. Indian NGO raises over $10,000 for flood relief operations in Kerala Sewa International, an Indian non-profit organisation in America, has raised over $10,000 for the flood relief operations in the deluge-hit Kerala Over 5,000 Sewa volunteers have fanned out distributing food packets and cooking kits, and are opening free kitchens and medical camps to help the flood affected. Article Source BS