Bhubaneswar, Aug 16: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday announced a Rs 5 crore assistance for the flood victims of Kerala.

Patnaik spoke with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over telephone and assured to provide relief and assistance to the people of Kerala affected by the flood.

"Chief Minister @Naveen_Odisha announced assistance of five crore rupees for relief and restoration of the damage caused by floods in Kerala and expressed solidarity with those affected by the extreme weather event," tweeted the Chief Minister's Office.

Notably, the number of deaths in rain-related incidents in Kerala on Thursday rose to 87. The Kerala government has issued a red alert across the state.

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Dhanbad (Jharkhand) (PTI): At least four workers died after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Saturday, a police official said.

The incident took place at Moonidih coal washery in the command area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).

"Bodies of all four workers were dug out of debris during a rescue operation," Putki police station in-charge Waqar Hussain told PTI.

The incident took place when coal slurry was being loaded into trucks by workers, during which a large chunk of slurry fell and trapped several workers underneath, officials said.

The deceased have been identified as Manik Bauri, Dinesh Bauri, Deepak Bauri, and Hemlal Gope.

Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased and local villagers placed the bodies in front of the washery gate and began a protest.

They demanded compensation, jobs for dependents and action against those responsible for the incident.

Police and administration officials are trying to pacify the protesters, an official said.