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.
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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
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