The death toll from rain-related incidents across Kerala has climbed to 15, with seven people still missing, Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan said on Monday morning. Intense monsoon rains that began late on July 31 and continued through the weekend triggered landslides, flash floods, drowning incidents and widespread waterlogging, particularly in hilly and low-lying areas.
As of 9 a.m. on Monday, 316 relief camps were operating statewide and sheltering 11,018 people displaced by the flooding and landslides, the Chief Minister told a press conference after reviewing the situation with senior officials. Earlier official figures had put the toll at eight on Sunday morning before additional confirmations, including recovered bodies of missing persons, pushed the number higher over the following hours.
Several of the deaths involved children and elderly residents. In Malappuram, young children drowned after falling into swollen streams or canals. In Kottayam and Idukki, landslides buried homes, killing residents including a mother and son in one incident and elderly individuals in others. At least one child died after falling into a waterlogged construction pit, while fishermen from coastal districts went missing at sea and some bodies were later recovered. Search operations by the National Disaster Response Force, state fire and rescue teams, police and the Coast Guard remain underway for the seven still unaccounted for.
Property damage has been significant. Officials earlier reported dozens of houses completely destroyed and hundreds partially damaged. Floodwaters inundated low-lying and riverside areas in districts including Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, Malappuram, Kannur, Kozhikode and Wayanad. Some parts of the state recorded extremely heavy rainfall, with one location in Kannur measuring around 320 mm in a day.
The India Meteorological Department has maintained weather alerts, with yellow or orange warnings for heavy rain and strong winds in multiple districts. Intensity has eased in places compared with the peak on Saturday, allowing cleaning and sanitation work to begin in areas where waters have receded. The state government has assured financial assistance and support to families of the deceased and those who lost homes or livelihoods. District administrations continue coordinated rescue, evacuation and relief efforts, and educational institutions in several affected districts remained closed as a precaution. Authorities have urged residents in flood-prone zones to stay alert and follow official advisories as isolated heavy rain remains possible in the coming days.
