At least 162 dead due to incessant rains, floods in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka

With the southwest monsoon peaking, incessant rains severely disrupted normal life in the affected states.

Floods have wreaked havoc in the states of Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka and Gujarat, claiming at least 162 lives and displacing lakhs. The Ministry of Home Affairs held a high-level meeting on the flood situation, preparedness, rescue and relief operations in these states.

In Maharashtra alone, 30 people have died in a week. Several parts of Satara, Sangli, and Kolhapur continued to be submerged on Saturday. Release of water from Karnataka's Almatti dam has not yet eased the flood situation in the three districts. The heavy rainfalls have ceased, yet the water level in the main river and the city continued did not come down. Rescue and relief operations are still underway. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Navy, Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard are on round-the-clock deployment to aid the rescue efforts.

The NDRF Friday rescued about 10,000 people from two flood-affected districts – about 8000 people from Sangli district and about 2000 people from Kolhapur district. About 40,000 trucks are still stuck on the national highway. Nearly 2,52,813 people have been rescued tweeted the Maharashtra Chief Ministers Office. “Rs 154 crore given to respective collectors for immediate assistance to flood affected persons, 70 medical teams are working to provide healthcare. Sufficient stock of anti-venom & leptospirosis drugs. 40 teams constituted constituted for restoration of power supply,” it added.

In Gujarat, 98 persons have died due to floods and torrential rains this season. Incessant rains lashed across state's 251 tehsils over the last 24 hour. The highest rainfall of 15 inches was recorded in Barwala of Botad district. The entire state has received an overall of 3 to 15 inches of rain. In the last 12 hours, two buildings collapsed due to incessant rains claimed 10 lives. At least four died after a three-storey apartment building collapsed in Nadiad's Pragatinagar in Gujarat's Kheda district on late Friday night. Four persons died in another building collapse in Ahmedabad. In Surat, mother-son duo was electrocuted to death. Earlier, 88 deaths were recorded in the state due to rain and flood related incidents.

In Kerala, around 28 people died and 27 others sustained injuries following incessant rains and overflowing of rivers in several parts of the state. A statement from the Chief Minister Office (CMO) said, "Statewide 28 people have lost their lives and other 27 have sustained injuries following the heavy rains causing a flood-like situation in the state. So far seven persons went missing," reported news agency ANI. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held a review meeting of the disaster management activities. So far 22,165 people have been evacuated to safety and are lodged in 315 camps across the state, informed the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KDSMA). Rescue operations are underway by the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF), Army and the local police.

In Karnataka, at least six people lost their lives in Belgaum district, as incessant rains continue to wreak havoc. All schools, colleges and educational institutes have been ordered shut till August 15 in Dakshina Kannada, Uttar Kannada, Raichur, Bagalkot, Belagavi, Chikkodi, Shivamogga, Bidar, Haveri, Kodagu, Koppal, Yadgir, Kalaburgi, Dharwad, Ballari, Hassan, Udupi, and Gadag districts.