417 dead in Kerala floods, 36 missing

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 24
Heavy rains and unprecedented floods in Kerala have claimed 417 lives and 36 people are still missing, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced on Friday.

Vijayan told the media that 265 deaths were reported since torrential downpour enveloped the state on August 8 while other fatalities happened from the start of the monsoon rains on May 29.

The Chief Minister said a total of 8.69 lakh people were still sheltered in 2,787 relief centres in the state.

He said some 7,000 houses were destroyed in the floods and another 50,000 partially damaged.