The Shiva Temple in Kochi was submerged when water was released from a dam
The state's chief minister says there is "unprecedented flood havoc" in Kerala - a magnet for millions of tourists each year.Sixty-seven people have been killed over the past week in the worst floods to hit India's Kerala state in nearly a century.
At least 25 died on Wednesday, with the disaster management authority saying that the number is likely to increase.Tourists, who flock to the southern state for its beaches, scenic landscapes and tea plantations, have been warned to stay away from many popular areas because of flooding.
The Sabarimala hill shrine is threatened by rising river levels in nearby Pampa River - the Hindu pilgrimage centre attracts around 45 million people a year.
Kochi city airport will also stay closed until Saturday afternoon.
Twelve of 14 districts in Kerala are struggling with flooding after authorities were forced to open the gates to free excess water from 35 dangerously full reservoirs.
"Presently, 35 reservoirs in the state are releasing water. Many districts in the state are facing floods," tweeted Kerala's chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who said the state was experiencing "unprecedented flood havoc".
A "red alert" has been put out by forecasters, who say heavy to very heavy rain is forecast in Kerala until Saturday.
Hundreds of houses have been damaged by floods, rain and landslides.
About 50,000 people have been displaced and crops also damaged in an area known for its coffee and spices.
More than 300 relief camps have been set up to help people left homeless.
Two hundred people have been killed in the state since May, according to Sekhar Lukose Kuriakose from the disaster management authority.Hundreds die annually during the June to September monsoon season
but the devastation this year is said to be the worst since 1924.Tens of thousands of people have had to leave their homes across the state
Comment: Like we said before, just because it's 'monsoon season in India', doesn't mean that it too isn't reaching unprecedented extremes...
See also:
'Unprecedented' flash floods kill dozens in Kerala, IndiaUPDATE: BBC on August 17th reports:
More than 100 people are thought to have died in devastating monsoon floods in India's southern state of Kerala, the worst in almost a century.
Rescuers battled torrential rains to save residents, with nearly 150,000 reportedly left homeless.
The state government said many of those who died were crushed under debris caused by landslides.
With more rains predicted and a red alert in place, the main airport has reportedly been shut until 26 August.
A state official told AFP that 106 people had now died, while the Economic Times in India reports 114 have been killed.
Hundreds of troops have been deployed to rescue those caught up in the flooding, alongside helicopters and lifeboats.
© AFP/GETTYThe Kerala chief minister has said the state has "never seen anything like this before"
The government has urged people not to ignore evacuation orders. It is distributing food to tens of thousands who have fled to higher ground.
"We're witnessing something that has never happened before in the history of Kerala," Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters.
"Almost all dams are now opened. Most of our water treatment plants are submerged. Motors are damaged."
He added that the failure of the state government of neighbouring Tamil Nadu to release water from a dam had made the situation worse.
Kerala has 41 rivers flowing into the Arabian Sea.
Parts of Kerala's commercial capital, Kochi, are also underwater, snaring up roads and railways across the state - a popular tourist destination.
India's Prime Minister and Home Minister have both offered federal support.
Schools in all 14 districts of Kerala have been closed down and some districts have banned tourists citing safety concerns.
UPDATE: Guardian on August 18th reports:
The state is "facing the worst floods in 100 years", chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Twitter, adding that at least 324 lives have been lost so far.
Roads are damaged, mobile phone networks are down, an international airport has been closed and more than 220,000 people have been left homeless after unusually heavy rain in the past nine days.
Casualty numbers are expected to increase further, with thousands more people still stranded. Many have died from being buried in hundreds of landslides set off by the flooding.
UPDATE:
Eyewitness News on 26th of August carried this report from AFP:
The death toll from devastating floods in the southern Indian state of Kerala rose to 445 Sunday with the discovery of 28 more bodies as the waters recede and a massive cleanup gathers pace, government officials said.
Around a million people are still packed into temporary relief camps and 15 are reported missing even as the government mounts an operation to clean homes and public places that have been filled with dirt and sand left by the floods.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in a tweet said that more than 130,000 flood-hit houses had been cleaned, or nearly a third of those affected.
Indian people look at vehicles stuck in the mud along a flooded road at Kannappankundu in Kozhikode, in the Indian state of Kerala on 10 August 2018.
Authorities are also in the process of restoring electricity connections.
People returning to their homes have been told to stay alert as receding waters leave behind a glut of snakes. State authorities and wildlife experts have formed teams to come to the aid of those who have found snakes in their home, according to local media.
Comment: Like we said before, just because it's 'monsoon season in India', doesn't mean that it too isn't reaching unprecedented extremes...
See also: 'Unprecedented' flash floods kill dozens in Kerala, India
UPDATE: BBC on August 17th reports:
UPDATE: Guardian on August 18th reports:
UPDATE: Eyewitness News on 26th of August carried this report from AFP: