Rains pound South India; Kerala worst hit with 42 dead

The flood situation in South India continued to remain grim on Saturday,with Kerala being the worst hit as rains,coupled with landslides left 42 dead and nearly 1.25 lakh people displaced.

The monsoon fury continued unabated in Karnataka and in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, with the latter pressing the IAF to rescue stranded people from the worst-hit Avalanchi in Nilgiris district.

In Kerala, many people are still feared trapped under debris following major landslides that hit Kavalappara in Malappuram and Puthumala in Meppadi in Wayanad even as a red alert has been issued in eight districts of Ernakulam, Idukki, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasargod.

As rescue operations were on in Kavalappara, another landslide occurred in the region on Saturday due to which search operations have been halted.

One of the four shutters of the Banasurasagar dam, located about 21 km from Kalpetta in Wayanad, one of the worst affected districts, was opened to discharge ..