Kerala, 'the worst flood in 100 years'. At least 87 dead and 25 thousand displaced
The state located in the southern part of India was hit by violent monsoon rains. Hundreds of villages have been wiped out, around 10 thousand kilometers of roads and thousands of houses have been razed to the ground. The provisional estimate of damages is 414.5 million euros. The Archdiocese of Trivandrum is at the forefront to rescue the fishermen left at the mercy of the waves.
Thiruvananthapuram (AsiaNews) - "The worst flood for 100 years". This is how Fr. Shynish Bosco, personal secretary of Msgr. Maria Calist Soosa Pakiam, Archbishop of Trivandrum, describes the violent floods that hit the state of Kerala, in the southern part of India to AsiaNews.
"The last great flood occurred in 1924 - he continues - All 14 districts of the state have been hit by the monsoon and we are talking about 87 confirmed victims and 25 thousand displaced persons ".
Rain has caused a catastrophe. Flooded streets, similar to waterways, people trying to take shelter on roofs, teams of all the armed forces involved in rescue operations. Pinarayi Vijayan, the local Chief Minister, issued a weather alert at least until 18 August, and decided to suspend all flights operated by the local airport. To avoid the collapse of the dams, with the water level reached critical levels, the administration decided to open 34 reservations to alleviate the flow.
This year the monsoon rains, which usually fall incessantly from June to September, arrived on August 8th. They have flooded houses and streets, collapsing bridges. The most affected areas are rural villages, with houses often built in straw and wood. Authorities report that hundreds of villages have been wiped out, about 10 thousand kilometers of roads and thousands of houses have been razed or damaged.
Fr. Bosco reports that "there are at least 25 thousand displaced people who have been forced to leave their homes and have lost everything. It is estimated that the damage of the devastation amounts to at least 83.16 billion rupees [about 414.5 million euros]. This estimate includes houses, properties and agricultural harvest ".
Every year in Kerala hundreds of victims are registered, but according to experts, the current flood is the worst episode of the last century. "The archdiocese - concludes the priest - is engaged in relief operations at every level, together with the Episcopal Conference, the youth group and the Malankara and Malabar Catholic Churches. We work in coordination with the state authorities and in particular we are rescuing dozens of fishing boats that are adrift in the open sea and fail to return to port ".
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