Weatherman Issues Red Alert in Southern Kerala as India’s Flood Toll Rises to Over 100

Fresh rain fell on Thursday (18th of July) in the eastern state of Bihar and northeastern region, exacerbating the situation. The Indian Army was called out to northern Punjab’s Sangrur district as gushing flood waters breached a 50-foot barrier on the Ghaggar River, inundating over 800 hectares of farmland. People from several hamlets in the region have vacated their homes, fearing the threat of flooding.

The highest number of deaths have been reported in the eastern state of Bihar, where 78 people are feared to have died in flash floods due to heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of neighbouring Nepal.

In the northeastern state of Assam 28 of the 33 districts are in the grip of floods, displacing nearly 5.4 million people and killing 36 people. Flood waters have also inundated several wildlife sanctuaries in the state including the world-famous Kaziranga National Park, where a large number of wild animals like one-horned rhinos, Royal Bengal Tigers and Asian elephants are in danger. The mighty Brahmaputra River and its tributaries have flooded in several parts of Assam.

A video posted by a top forest official in Assam shows vast swathes inundated with water.

India's Meteorological Department, the national weather forecasting agency has sounded a red alert for three districts of southern Kerala for the next two to three days. The state witnessed one of the worst deluges of the century in 2018, killing hundreds and displacing over 200,000 people.

Several celebrities have come in to help the worst affected states of Bihar and Assam, like Bollywood director Sekhar Kapoor, actor Akshay Kumar, and sprint queen Hina Das.

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