New Delhi: More than 300 people have lost their lives as Kerala faces its worst floods and landslides in nearly a century. While over over 80,000 people were rescued on Friday, thousands are still waiting for assistance as hospitals in the state have started facing shortage of oxygen and fuel stations are running dry.
CPI(M) MLA Saji Cherian, whose constituency Chengannur is one of the worst affected areas, sent a distress message to the Centre during a live telephone interview with Malayalam news channel Asianet, reported the News Minute.
Also Read: Kerala Is Experiencing a Catastrophe of a Lifetime, and It Shouldn’t Have to Face It Alone
“Please give us a helicopter. I am begging you. Please help me, people in my place will die. Please help us. There is no other solution, people have to be airlifted. We did what we can with fishing boats we procured using our political clout. But we can’t do more. The armed forces need to come here, please help us,” said Cherian.
Chengannur is part of Alappuzha district, one of the places where the rescue teams haven’t been able to reach. “Please send helicopters here. Please tell someone, Please can you tell Modi. If helicopters are not brought in for rescue operations, we will die. 50000 people will die. I am begging for your mercy, please help us,” he added.
Pleading for the Centre’s intervention, the MLA claimed that many people in his constituency have already lost their lives in boat accidents.
Heartbreaking to hear Chengannur MLA Saji Cherian pleading with Asianet News to send a message to Modi to send helicopters immediately or face up to a large death toll tomorrow.
— Jiby J. Kattakayam (@jiby216) August 17, 2018
“Please give a helicopter of the Navy from anywhere. We are helpless. Give us packets of food. If we don’t get help, 50,000 people will die,” he added.
The MLA, who has been sharing updates on his Facebook page, posted another appeal late Friday night.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Thiruvananthapuram late Friday night and was set to undertake an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas on Saturday. Initial reports indicate bad weather has grounded him.
Many private hospitals in Ernakulam district are running out of oxygen, forcing the authorities to shift patients to nearby facilities, officials told PTI. Many had to be evacuated after flood water entered hospitals. People in relief shelters also complained about dearth of food and drinking water.
Quite a few petrol pumps, even in places like Thiruvananthapuram, which has escaped the monsoon fury to some extent, have run dry. Authorities have directed each of these fuel bunks to keep in reserve 3,000 litres of diesel and 1,000 litres of petrol at all times for relief operations.
While many people have been rescued by the armed forces and the National Disaster Response Force, thousands are still stranded and lakhs have been uprooted and moved to relief camps.
Readers can help the victims of the flood by donating to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. Click here for more details.