Stranded people appeal for help through social media

Agencies
August 16, 2018

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 16: As roads turn into 'rivers' in many places in rain-battered Kerala, families trapped in high rise flats, students stranded in hostels and devotees in churches are using social media platforms to seek help and pass on information about their location.

Videos of people pleading for help with folded hands, are being posted and shared by hundreds of people on WhatsApp groups since last night.

Panic-struck relatives are also sharing the location of their near and dear ones trapped in various places using Google maps.

Various regional channels have also published their numbers through news bulletins for stranded people to contact them and share details of their location, to be passed on to authorities.

"We are in the second floor of the house... the first floor is almost flooded... the mobile phone is running out of charge... please rescue us... please," a man from Ranni said in a video which has gone viral on social media.

"There are tiny tots and senior citizens with us... water is now scaling up to the second floor," he said.

An NRI woman was heard pleading on a TV channel for help to rescue her relatives stranded in a house in Pathanamthitta district, which has been witnessing heavy rainfall since last evening.

In Pathanamthitta, a district in central Kerala which is submerged in water, students and devotees trapped in churches are seeking help through social media.

A family with a two-month-old baby is stranded at a house at Athani near Kochi and sought help via WhatsApp.

Patients of a private hospital in Kozhencherry, the first floor which was flooded, also appealed for help.

Those stranded were worried about lack of drinking water and food and disruption of power supply.

"We are awaiting rescue teams... TV channels are showing that the Army and Navy personnel will come to rescue us... we are trying to contact the emergency numbers... but nobody is picking up," an anxious man was seen telling a television channel over phone.

With the flood situation going out of control, local people are also doing their bit helping police, fire service and other defence personnel in most places.

With water overflowing on roads and national highways, people are using every possible mode from huge vessels to 'vallam' (wooden country boats) to rescue and ferry people especially women and children to safer places.

A weeping woman carrying her new-born twins was rescued from near Aluva, which has been battered in the monsoon fury.

Elderly men and women were seen thanking rescuers with teary eyes.

Comments

Robin, Calicut
 - 
Thursday, 16 Aug 2018

State Emergency Operation Centre - 0471-2364424

State disaster management control room - 0471-2331639

Revenue department helpline number - 0471-2518595, 9995484519, 9496253850

Revenue department flood rescue state-wide toll free number : 1077, 1070 (Prefix the STD codes of the respective district)

Chief minister's helpline number - 0471-2333812

State disaster relief authority numbers

Pathanamthitta - +918078808915 (Whatsapp) / 0468-2322515/2222515

Idukki - +919383463036 (Whatsapp) / 0486-233111/2233130

Kollam - +919447677800 (Whatsapp) / 0474-2794002

Alappuzha - +919495003640 (Whatsapp) / 0477-2238630

Idukki - +919383463036 (Whatsapp) / 0486-2233111

Kottayam - +919446562236 (Whatsapp) / 0481 - 2304800

Ernakulam - +917902200400 (Whatsapp) / 0484-2423513/2433481

District level helpline numbers

Idukki : 0486 2233111, 9061566111, 9383463036

Ernakulam : 0484 2423513, 7902200300, 7902200400

Thrissur : 0487 2362424, 9447074424

Palakkad : 0491 2505309, 2505209, 2505566

Malappuram : 0483 2736320, 0483 2736326

Kozhikode : 0495 2371002

Kannur : 0497 2713266, 0497 2700645, 8547616034

Wayanad : 04936 204151,9207985027

Pathanamthitta district

Control room numbers

Collectorate: 04682322515, 2222515, 8078808915

Taluk ofices

Kozhenchery 04682222221

Adur: 04734224826

Konni: 04682240087

Mallappally: 04692682293

Ranni: 04735227442

Thiruvalla: 04692601303

In case affected people are unable to contact the control room or the number returns a busy message, they can seek help from the police on these numbers:

District police chief - 9497996983

Dy SP [Admn.] - 9497990028

DPO - 04682222630

Manager - 9497965289

AA - 9497965328

Dy SP SB - 9497990030

Dy SP DCRB - 9497990031

Dy SP Narcotic Cell - 9497990032

Dy SP Crime Dett. - 9497990029

CI Vanitha Cell - 9497987057

Crime Stopper - 04682327914

AC AR - 9497990259

AR Camp - 04682223036

Dy SP Pathanamthitta - 9497990033

CI Pathanamthitta - 9497987046

Pathanamthitta PS - 9497980250

Malayalappuzha PS - 9497980253

Police Control Room - 9497980251

Traffic Pathanamthitta - 9497980259

CI Kozhencherry - 9497987047

Aranmula PS - 9497980226

Koipuram PS - 9497980232

CI Chittar - 9497987048

Chittar PS - 9497980228

Moozhiyar PS - 9497980235

CI Pampa PS - 9497987049

Pampa PS - 9497980229

Dy SP Adoor - 9497990034

CI Adoor - 9497987050

Adoor PS - 9497980247

Adoor Traffic - 9497980256

Enath PS - 9497980246

CI Pandalam - 9497987051

Pandalam PS - 9497980236

Kodumon PS - 9497980231

CI Konni - 9497987052

Konni PS - 9497980233

Koodal PS - 9497980234

Thannithodu PS - 9497980241

Dy SP Thiruvalla - 9497990035

CI Thiruvalla - 9497987053

Thiruvalla PS - 9497980242

Thiruvalla Traffic - 9497980260

Pulikeezhu PS - 9497980240

CI Mallappally - 9497987054

Keezhvaipur PS - 9497980230

Perumpetty PS - 9497980238

CI Ranni - 9497987055

Ranni PS - 9497980255

CI Vadasserikara - 9497987056

Vechoochira PS - 9497980245

Perinad PS - 9497980239

Vanitha Help Line - 9447994707

Sannidhanam P S – 04735202014

Helpline numbers: Kerala State Disaster Management Authority - 94465 68222

24-hour control rooms in Malappuram district

Disaster management call, Malappuram Collectorate- 04832 736320.

Nilambur Taluk- 04931 221471

Konmdotty Taluk - 04832 713311

Ernad Taluk - 04832 766121

Tirur Taluk - 04942 422238

Ponnani Taluk - 04942 666038

Perinthalmanna Taluk - 04933 227230

Thirurangadi Taluk - 04942 461055

Kozikode district

Collectorate - 0495-2371002

Kozhikode - 0495-2372966

Thamerassery - 0495-2223088

Koyilandy -0496-2620235

Vadakara -0496-2522361

126 relief camps opened in 43 villages in Kozhikode

Total number of people displaced- 8788

Total number of families displaced- 2751

Emergency relief numbers

Helpline for availing boats for rescue: 8547616013

Helpline for emergency help for marooned people and Isolated caller system: 9447292984, 8281527151

Helpline for vehicle support: 9446841194, 8113900224

Helpline for essential supplies to relief camps: 9446477818,9745743545

Helpline for ambulance and medical management: 8281863442

Helpline for drinking water supply: 8089428478, 9544244428,9400501691

Helpline for cutting down trees posing danger: 9496268149

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
coastaldigest.com web desk
June 17,2020

Remember social media memes of Chinese companies exporting #BoycottChina hats and t-shirts to India? This time India’s sensational and saffronite TV anchor Arnab Goswami vindicated those memes by hosting an anti-China debate show which was sponsored by Chinese companies!

While the last night's debate was all about boycotting Chinese products in the wake of massacre of over 20 Indian soldiers by their Chinese counterparts in eastern Ladakh, the show was brazenly promoting Chinese products through advertisement placements. 

During the debate, amongst the flashy headlines, there were two brand sponsorships that appeared: VIVO and Xiaomi. Both companies are giant Chinese multinational corporations. 

Twitter user Nirmala Tai, who was among those who spotted this irony, highlighted two instances during the debate where the logo of one of the brands popped up, and one where Xiaomi was found promoting the Mi 10. 

Many Twitterati used Goswami’s some of the favourite words such as ‘hypocrite’ and ‘anti-national’ to target him. They hit out at his channel for accepting sponsorship deals from Chinese brands at a time when anti-China sentiment is strong in the country.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
April 4,2020

Mangaluru, Apr 4: Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner (DC) Sindhu B Rupesh in an official reminder has ordered milk unions to disburse about 5,000 litres of milk to residents of notified and non-notified slums, construction labourers and migrant labourers and their families in shelters in the district.

A decision regarding the free distribution of milk to such needy families was taken in a meeting by the chief minister on April 1.

The DC has ordered cooperative milk unions in the district to distribute milk to such families from April 4 till April 14.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
June 5,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 5: The much awaited Southwest Monsoon entered Karnataka with widespread rain in coastal and central regions of the southern state, an official said on Friday. Rain and thundershowers are likely to occur at most places over coastal areas and at a few places over the interior parts over the next 24-48 hours.

"The southwest monsoon entered the state on Thursday as predicted from Kerala and the Arabian Sea, with moderate to heavy rainfall in the coastal districts and central or Malnad region of the state," Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre Director Srinivas Reddy told media here.

Though the monsoon has set in on time in the state, Reddy said its progress was likely to be slow in the next three days, as cyclone Nisarga induced high-speed winds took away rain-bearing clouds from the southern peninsula.

According to the regional meteorological office, Karwar in Uttar Kannada district received a whopping 15cm rainfall on Thursday, followed by 11cm each at Kundapur in Udupi district and Shivamogga in Malnad region.

Kadra and Gersoppa in Uttara Kannada and Kottigehara in Chikkamagaluru district had 10cm rainfall, followed by 8cm at Virajpet in Kodagu district and 7cm each at Shirali and Gokarana in Uttara Kannda.

Isolated to scattered rainfall also occurred in many places across the north and south interior regions of the state.

"The monsoon will advance in the state to south and north interior areas after June 8 as there is lull in its movement due to lack of rain-bearing clouds and winds to carry them," said Reddy.

Noting that the four-month monsoon from June to September, crucial to the rain-dependent state would be normal this year, Reddy said its progress and spread, however, would depend on various factors like cloud formations and wind movements.

"Conditions are likely to become favourable for monsoon advancement in the state over the next 2-3 days," asserted Reddy.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.