Cochin International Airport Closed due to Kerala Rains

(FASTNEWS|COLOMBO) The death toll in Kerala rose to 45 on Wednesday, as the rains continued to wreak havoc across the state. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called an emergency meeting to take stock of the situation. For the first time in history, the state has opened 33 of its 39 dams.

Operations at Cochin International Airport, meanwhile, have been suspended till 2 pm on Saturday due to flooding in and around the airport. A red alert has been issued in all 14 districts of the state.

Spelling more trouble for Kerala, the Tamil Nadu government opened the sluice gates of the Mullaperiyar dam at 2.30 am on Wednesday to release excess water from the reservoir. Despite this, the water level touched 142 feet, its capacity, a little after noon on Wednesday. Authorities said water will also be released via its slipways. The water will flow down to the Idukki reservoir, which is already brimming with a storage of 2,398 feet — its maximum capacity if 2,403 feet.

Rescue operations are underway across the state, and authorities are shifting people to relief camps. Residents of Manjumala, Kumily, Periyar, Upputhura and Ayyapankovil are being relocated, while the government has advised those living close to Periyar river in Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur to move to relief camps.