Kerala Floods: Chengannur MLA pleads PM for helicopters, says 50,000 will die

On Friday, Chengannur MLA Saji Cherian broken down on TV asking for help for his constituency. He pleaded that 50 people were lying dead in his constituency and that more would perish help didn’t arrive soon.

Many Twitter users also urged authorities to immediately send help to the area, claiming that thousands were trapped in that particular area in Alappuzha district.

He was quoted saying by The NewsMinute: “Please give us a helicopter. I am begging you. Please help me, people in my place will die. Please help us. There is no other solution, people have to be airlifted. We did what we can with fishing boats we procured using our political clout. But we can't do more. The armed forces need to come here, please help us.”

The CPI(M) MLA was in tears and said: “Please send helicopters here. Please tell someone, Please can you tell Modi. If helicopters are not brought in for rescue operations, we will die. 50000 people will die. I am begging for your mercy, please help us.”
Even cricketer Virender Sehwag tweeted:

Chengannur Control Room :- 0091 4792452334
Saji Cheriyan MLA :- 9447069379
Suresh :- 9605535658
James :- 9447273251#KeralaFloods

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) August 17, 2018

Chengannur is one of the worst affected areas.  Earlier, a Reuters witness in a relief helicopter in Chengannur saw people stranded on roof tops and waving desperately for help. "The town looked like an island dotted with houses and cars submerged in muddy flood waters and downed coconut trees," he said.

PM Modi has reached Kerala late on Friday night and was greeted at the airport by CM Vijayan and others. Vijayan had earlier said that the death toll had reached 324.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had yesterday said 23 more helicopters will join the rescue operations today and 200 additional boats will also be pressed into service.

Around 3,000 people were rescued from Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta districts yesterday.

Several people are stranded in buildings in various districts. Many of them, including children, were rescued from various waterlogged areas.

"In one of the worst rain and flood disasters to hit Kerala, 106 people lost their lives on a single day yesterday," a source in the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority said.

In the second spell of rains to hit the state since August 8, 67 people had lost their lives till Tuesday.

Army, Navy, Air Force and NDRF personnel have begun rescuing people stranded in the worst affected areas of Ernakulam, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur districts from this morning.

Many elderly persons and women with young children were rescued since this morning.

Local fishermen have also joined the rescue mission bringing in their boats to help in evacuation of the stranded people in various places in Aluva, Kalady, Perumbavoor, Muvattupuzha and Chalakudy.

A weather report at 7 a.m has predicted heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds in various parts of the state today.

Winds at the speed of 60 kmph is expected in Pathanamthitta, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad districts, the report said.

Desperate non-resident Keralites from Australia, the US and the UK were making fervent pleas to authorities through television channels seeking help for their dear ones.

Soumya from Australia said her parents and their relatives were stranded in Aluva for the past two days. Another person said an elderly relative, Mary Varghese, was badly in need of oxygen cylinder and her condition was worsening.

In a WhatsApp video, a stranded woman with her 6-year-old child was seen pleading for help. "We have no food or water. Please help us." On instructions from the Prime Minister, the Defence Ministry has rushed in fresh teams of the three armed forces for relief and rescue operations in the state where over 1.5 lakh homeless and displaced people are taking shelter in relief camps.

Twelve additional teams of of the National Disaster Response Force comprising about 540 personnel were also rushed to Kerala.

The operations at the Kochi International Airport will remain suspended till August 26, with runways being flooded.

Over 25 trains were either cancelled or rescheduled in Kerala. Kochi Metro operations have not been affected so far, sources said.

With waters flooding the private Aster Medi City in Kochi, some patients were shifted to other hospitals.

The state government also decided to raise excise duty on Indian Made Foreign Liquor till November 30 to mop up additional resources for relief and rehabilitation efforts, official sources said.