More than 94 people have been declared dead in the Kerala floods. | Photo Credit: ANI

Thiruvananthapuram: After unprecedented floods have hit Kerala, more than 94 people have been declared dead and thousands have been displaced and are now living in Army shelter homes. Observing the situation, the Indian Navy has now commenced airlift operations at the Aluva and Trichur districts of Kerala.

The fresh spell of rain has made the situation worse for the residents, the IMD department says it is the south-western winds from the Arabian Sea which are gushing with a speed 35-40 km per hour. The department also informed that heavy rains would continue till Saturday. Water levels in Central Kerala are continuously rising and the Kochi airport authorities have shut their operations till August 26.

UPDATE | Indian Navy commences airlift operations. Rescue operations begin at Aluva, Trichur pic.twitter.com/0SUYhkL09F — Mirror Now (@MirrorNow) August 16, 2018



Numerous incidents of landslides have been reported from various districts of the state. Calicut, Malappuram and Kannur have witnessed instances of landslides which have caused damage to the residents. As of now, 10 units of the Indian Army and the Indian Navy have been deployed in the state.

The Kerala chief minister has sought for help from the central government, as a response prime minister Narendra Modi would visit Kerala soon. The low-lying areas of the state that is Palakkad and Thrissur have been hit badly and some families are still stranded in their houses. An attempt to airlift around 150 families from these areas have already begun.

The state government has also provided 30-40 boats so that residents can evacuate from these areas as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the rains continue in Central Kerala and other parts of the state.

Also the Times Network aims at creating awareness and is launching a donation drive to contribute to the relief efforts in Kerala.The amount collected by Times Foundation will be donated to the “Kerala CM's Relief Fund”. To extend support and make donations for flood-ravaged Kerala, please Click here