By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : At least 20 people have been killed and seven are reportedly missing following heavy rains in Kerala, officials said Wednesday.
The maximum number of deaths has been reported from Kozhikode, Kannur, Malappuram, Wayanad and Pathanamthitta districts. Trissur, Idukki and Ernakulam districts have also been affected.
On account of the heavy rains lashing the state since Monday, the government has declared a holiday Wednesday for educational institutions in nine of the 14 districts.
"In my district, country boats have been plying on the road for the past two days because almost all low lying areas have been flooded as the river Pamba is in spate," Pathanamthitta legislator K. Sivadasan Nair told IANS.
"My home was swept away by the sea and we have been staying on the side of the main road in a make shift tent for the past two days," said Mary, a fisherwomen.
Officials said the rains have affected about 12,000 people and nearly 200 relief camps have been opened to help them.
Vehicular traffic on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border in Palakkad and Thekkady has been disrupted due to landslides.
The rains have taken a huge toll on paddy cultivation in Alappuzha district. Many paddy fields are under water. Large-scale destruction of crops has been reported from other districts too.
The government has pressed mobile relief teams into service. The central Rapid Action Force (RAF) is also assisting in the relief operations in Kozhikode while naval personnel are helping assisting the administration in Wayanad.