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Xinhua News Agency/PA Images

Over 300 dead in India as huge floods trigger landslides

Thousands are still trapped without food or water.

THE DEATH TOLL from floods that have triggered landslides and sent torrents sweeping through villages in the Indian state of Kerala trebled to 324 amid warnings of worse weather to come.

Hundreds of troops and local fishermen are staging desperate rescue attempts with helicopters and boats across the southern state, which draws international tourists to its tropical hills and beaches.

Kerala has been battered by record monsoon rainfall this year and is “facing the worst floods in 100 years”, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a Twitter statement, adding that 324 lives had been lost so far.

With thousands still trapped, power and communication lines down and fresh alerts of further torrential rain, authorities warned of more trouble ahead and further deaths to come.

“We are deploying more boats and army to ramp up rescue operations,” senior state government official PH Kurian told AFP

More than 30 military helicopters and 320 boats are attempting rescues across Kerala.

Authorities said thousands of people have been taken to safety so far but 6,000 more are still waiting for rescue.

Helicopters have also been dropping emergency food and water supplies, while special trains carrying drinking water have been sent to Kerala.

According to India’s weather bureau, since the beginning of June more than 321 centimetres of rain has fallen on the hilly central Kerala district of Idukki, which is now virtually cut off from the rest of the state.

With no end in sight to the deluge, people all over the state of 33 million people have made panic-stricken appeals on social media for help, saying they cannot make contact with rescue services.

“My family and neighbouring families are in trouble,” wrote Ajo Varghese, a resident of the coastal city of Alappuzha, in a Facebook post that quickly went viral.

“No water and food. Not able to communicate from afternoon. Mobile phones are not reachable… Please help,” he added.

‘Extremely grave’

Other messages have been sent from people trapped inside temples and hospitals as well as their homes.

The Kerala government has said it faces an “extremely grave” crisis and state chief minister Vijayan warned of a new wave of rainfall hitting the battered region over the weekend. Strong winds have also been predicted for Saturday and Sunday.

INDIA-KERALA-FLOOD Submerged houses due to heavy rains in Idukki, the southern Indian state of Kerala. Xinhua News Agency / PA Images Xinhua News Agency / PA Images / PA Images

The gates of dozens of dams and reservoirs across the state have been opened as water levels reach danger levels, inundating many other villages.

North and central Kerala have been worst-hit by the floods with the international airport in the main city of Kochi shut until at least August 26.

At least 220,000 people displaced from across the state are taking shelter in more than 1,500 relief camps.

On top of tourist cancellations, Kerala’s valuable rubber industry has been badly hit by the floods.

The government says 10,000 kilometres (6,000 miles) of Kerala roads have been destroyed or damaged, along with thousands of homes.

News reports said electricity supplies to more than half the state have been cut. The state power company said that only one million people were affected, however.

The home ministry announced meanwhile that 868 people have been reported dead in seven Indian states including Kerala since the start of the monsoon in June.

© – AFP 2018

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    Mute mary carey
    Favourite mary carey
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    Aug 4th 2015, 5:31 PM

    While I’m not glad she’s gone, I’m glad she did not suffer. She was a gentle person who suffered greatly with grief after her husband passed. I’m glad she didn’t suffer

    478
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    Mute paul farrell
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    Aug 4th 2015, 5:37 PM

    Old Skool saturday evening TV, RIP cilla

    234
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    Mute Eamonn O'Regan
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    Aug 4th 2015, 5:32 PM

    Rest in peace, luv- and thank you for the music.

    223
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    Mute Eamon Mac Gowan
    Favourite Eamon Mac Gowan
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    Aug 4th 2015, 8:13 PM

    @Eamonn O’Regan,
    Music? She sounded like a tomcat screeching.

    18
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    Mute Francid Dooley
    Favourite Francid Dooley
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    Aug 4th 2015, 11:33 PM

    Yes she was not a grate singer but that dident stop her. Don’t let your handy cap stop you.

    12
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    Mute Stephanie Phillips
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    Aug 6th 2015, 11:17 AM

    That’s such a cruel comment to make about another human being but judging by your inability to spell correctly, not surprised!!!

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    Mute Francid Dooley
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    Aug 4th 2015, 5:34 PM

    Poor old cilla, all the best in the next place.

    217
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    Mute tom
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    Aug 4th 2015, 6:27 PM

    If she entertained you all great but a casual review will tell you there were 2 Cilla’s.
    I’m sorry she’s died but I a bit perturbed by all this idolising. I think we need balance. Sorry to rain on anybody’s parade.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-444286/Surprise-Surprise–Cilla-nice-think.html

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    Mute Catherine
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    Aug 4th 2015, 6:54 PM

    I don’t think that’s a casual review. More like a bit of click bait for a well know rag.

    69
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    Mute Philip Horan
    Favourite Philip Horan
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    Aug 4th 2015, 6:55 PM

    I think you’ll find it’s the same when every light entertainment figure dies. Nothing unusual about Cilla.

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    Mute Maria Conroy Byrne
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    Aug 4th 2015, 7:28 PM

    Funny how the interviewer could damn her completely in such a short space of time. It seems to me she was determined to write a negative article. I’m sure most of us have our good and bad days. RIP Cilla.

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    Mute Paul Dunne
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    Aug 4th 2015, 7:59 PM

    ah Tom is a Irish thing everyone is a great bit of stuff when they pop their clogs no matters how much of a bollix they where in life.

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    Mute Trevor Weafer
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    Aug 4th 2015, 11:08 PM

    TV legend. Remember always watching her on blind date as a kid. True show biz performer. RIP Cilla.

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    Mute OneTrueVoice
    Favourite OneTrueVoice
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    Aug 4th 2015, 8:21 PM

    Of the 151,232 people who died the same day as Cilla … I hope they all had a peaceful passing.

    Something close to 151,231 are not on our radar.

    Many were of old age and natural causes. But too many were young, oppressed, tortured and died a horrific unjust death. But we don’t really care, do we.

    29
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    Mute Joe Harbison
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    Aug 4th 2015, 11:52 PM

    Don’t want to be picky but thats not a stroke, its a head injury. Irish coroners wouldn’t accept it as a stroke as there was head trauma. Stroke occurs due to the spontaneous occlusion or rupture of a cerebral vessel.

    24
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    Mute Eamon Mac Gowan
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    Aug 4th 2015, 8:11 PM

    She made a tiny bit of talent go a very long way, also she was supposed to have been really obnoxious. She would not even speak to the builders who were doing up her house

    21
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    Mute OneTrueVoice
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    Aug 4th 2015, 8:25 PM

    Makes Tubridy and O’Connor even more wondrous.

    They make zero talent go to infinity. Cilla wasn’t even in their league.

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    Mute Ruth McCann
    Favourite Ruth McCann
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    Aug 4th 2015, 11:42 PM

    have a bit of respect! she was such a kind lady, loved her fans, and had more talent than you, you troll!

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    Mute Eamon Mac Gowan
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    Aug 5th 2015, 10:23 AM

    @Ruth McCann,
    Oh, so you knew her personally?

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    Mute Linny
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    Aug 4th 2015, 6:57 PM

    In other words she fell over in a happy stupor. How lucky is Cilla?

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    Mute tom
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    Aug 4th 2015, 6:29 PM

    There are plenty of similar articles on the net but I guess most fans won’t want to read them, which is fair enough.

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    Mute tom
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    Aug 4th 2015, 7:02 PM

    There are loads of these articles. Just google them.

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    Mute Mindfulirish
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    Aug 5th 2015, 3:49 AM

    If you can’t say anything good about the dead say nothing.

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