Death toll rises to 158 in two states

Thiruvananthapuram/ Bengaluru: Torrential rains lashed many parts of the country and the situation remained grim in flood-hit parts of Kerala and Karnataka, with the death toll mounting to 158 in the two southern states on Wednesday.

Three rain-related deaths were reported in Madhya Pradesh, where heavy downpour was witnessed.

Heavy rainfall in the lower catchments of the Mahanadi in Odisha is likely to cause a "medium flood" in the river, Water Resources Secretary P K Jena said.

According to a forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), some areas in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat are expected to have heavy to very heavy downpour on Thursday.

In Kerala, many low lying areas have been waterlogged, even as the death toll in the rain-battered state has gone up to 95.

A red alert has been sounded for three north Kerala districts of Malappuram, Kannur and Kozhikode, which bore the brunt of the flood fury and landslides last week.