Kerala floods: 12 trains stuck between Kozhikode and Aluva

The deputy manager at the Kozhikode railway station says there are 12 trains stranded on the tracks along the nearly 200-km distance between Kozhikode and Aluva in the Ernakulam district and that there is no guarantee the trains will reach their destinations. Taking a chance on the only available train are two Sabarimala pilgrims from Mumbai — Deepak Iyer and his friend Vikram. They were part of a group of 10 pilgrims trying to get to the now severally damaged Pathanamthitta district in southern Kerala. They were informed by their cab driver in Haripad that they should stay away from Pathnamthitta because the floods were only getting worse.

While most of their friends returned to Mumbai, Deepak and Vikram, are trying to get as close to Sabarimala as possible.A Mumbai techie and his friend are trying to get to Thrissur for a housewarming. An elderly couple is travelling to be back home in Shoranur for Onam.

The journey is full of people telling stories of the horror the floods are causing in the region ahead. “My cousin has three huge houses near Ernakulam but he is now in a relief camp because of the rising water,” says Vikram one of the Sabarimala pilgrims.