Kerala landslide toll rises to 61, flood situation grim in Bihar

New Delhi: The death toll in the Kerala landslide rose to 61 after three more bodies were recovered on Tuesday, while the flood situation in Bihar remained grim, even as overnight rains broke the prolonged dry spell in the Kashmir Valley.

However, the flood-like situation in Odisha showed signs of improvement with the intensity of rains subsiding, while 933 villages were affected and 321 houses damaged in the worst-hit Malkangiri district.

Parts of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana received light to moderate rainfall.

The Meteorological (MeT) Department has issued a yellow weather warning for Wednesday and Thursday for Himachal Pradesh.

Major rivers, including Ganga, Ghagara, Panchganga and the Godavari river, continued to flow above the danger mark.

In Kerala's high range Idukki district, the remains of a six-year-old boy and a 57-year-old man were recovered while one body is yet to be identified and nine more bodies have to be retrieved from the site of the landslide. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), fire force, police and forest officials are jointly engaged in the search operations.

In Bihar, prominent rivers like Ganga, Baghmati, Burhi Gandak are flowing above the danger level at several places in Bihar with its 81.59 lakh people getting affected by floods in 16 districts of the state.

A total of 81.59 lakh people have been affected by flood waters in 1,312 panchayats of 130 blocks in 16 districts against Monday's total affected population of 81.56 lakh in these districts. Though the flood-related deaths remained at 25 in the state, the disaster management bulletin said.

Fourteen people have died in flood-related incidents in Uttar Pradesh this year and 16 districts in the state are affected by the deluge, an official said.

The Sharda river at Palia Kalan in Lakhimpur Kheri, Saryu and the Ghagara at Ayodhya, Barabanki's Elgin Bridge and Ballia's Turtipaar are flowing above the danger mark.

"A total of 838 villages in 16 districts of the state have been hit by the floods. Among the affected villages, 520 are marooned," Relief Commissioner Sanjay Goyal said.

The rainfall broke the prolonged dry spell in the Kashmir Valley, which had been witnessing hotter days in the recent weeks. Many places in the valley received a spell of rainfall during the night.

Srinagar city recorded 20.2 mm rainfall, while Qazigund 12.2 mm, Pahalgam 6.2 mm, Kupwara 5.2 mm, Gulmarg 2.6 mm, and Kokernag 1.8 mm.

In Karnataka, four people, including a six-year-old girl, went missing on Tuesday as their coracle capsised while trying to cross the swollen Krishna river in Raichur district.

"While nine people have been rescued, four are still missing. Search is on to trace the missing persons," Commissioner of Karnataka Disaster Management Authority said.

In Maharashtra, the Panchganga river in Kolhapur district crossed the warning level after release of water from some dams, following rainfall in their catchment areas.

Though the catchment areas of various dams are witnessing intermittent showers, water is being released from Radhanagari and other reservoirs in Kolhapur.