Kerala flood toll touches 79, rains continue
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 16 : With rains still pouring down heavily leading to flooding of dams and rivers across Kerala, 12 fresh deaths were reported on Thursday, taking the toll to 79, since August 8.
Entire Kerala has been on a red alert since Wednesday evening. A total of 28 deaths were reported on the day. The deaths on Thursday were reported from Malappuram, Kozhikode, Palakkad and Thrissur.
Pathanamthitta district in central Kerala has been the worst affected in the last 24 hours as thousands of people -- students among others were trapped in their homes in Ranni, Aranmula and Kozhencherry.
Fishing boats from Kollam reached the flooded areas as the rescue operation with the aid of defence personnel continued. Various media Whats App groups, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's have been flooded with SOS messages from Pathanamthitta crying for help.
Parts of Ernakulam and Thrissur have been facing tough times with the dam waters from Idukki districts reaching Periyar, and its tributaries late on Wednesday.
Traffic on the national highway between Ernakulam and Thrissur has been regulated since.
Train operations between Ernakulam and Angamaly have also been stopped and at Thiruvananthapuram railway station tickets are not being issued.
All educational institutions were closed on Thursday.
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5 schoolchildren among 7 killed in blast in southwest Pakistan
Islamabad (PTI): At least seven people, including five schoolchildren and a policeman, were killed on Friday in a remote-controlled blast in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, according to media reports.
The blast occurred at 8.35 am near a school at the Civil Hospital Chowk of the Mastung district of the province, Dawn newspaper reported.
“It appears that an IED (improvised explosive device) attached to a motorcycle was detonated near a police mobile,” Kalat Division Commissioner Naeem Bazai was quoted as saying in the report.
“So far, seven individuals have been killed, including five school students,” Bazai said. At least 22 people were injured in the attack.
Most of those injured were schoolchildren, Geo News reported, adding that they were shifted to a nearby hospital.
A police van and several auto-rickshaws were damaged in the explosion, according to the report.
An emergency was declared across all Quetta hospitals after the blast, the report said quoting the provincial health department spokesperson, adding that all doctors, pharmacists, staff nurses and other medical staff were summoned.
