• An Indian man clears mud from his home after heavy rain hits Kottayam in Kerala, causing a landslide. EPA
    An Indian man clears mud from his home after heavy rain hits Kottayam in Kerala, causing a landslide. EPA
  • Rescue work gets under way. EPA
    Rescue work gets under way. EPA
  • A car was completely destroyed by the landslide in the town of Manimala. EPA
    A car was completely destroyed by the landslide in the town of Manimala. EPA
  • Rescuers search for bodies in Koottickal, southern Kerala. AP
    Rescuers search for bodies in Koottickal, southern Kerala. AP
  • Many homes were destroyed in the area. EPA
    Many homes were destroyed in the area. EPA
  • A man clears the sludge in Manimala. EPA
    A man clears the sludge in Manimala. EPA
  • Men stand near the flooded river in Manimala. EPA
    Men stand near the flooded river in Manimala. EPA
  • Destruction can be seen all around Kerala. EPA
    Destruction can be seen all around Kerala. EPA
  • A house is swept away in Kottayam. Reuters
    A house is swept away in Kottayam. Reuters
  • A house damaged by heavy rains in Kottayam. Reuters
    A house damaged by heavy rains in Kottayam. Reuters
  • Trees and debris strewn outside a damaged house in Kottayam. Reuters
    Trees and debris strewn outside a damaged house in Kottayam. Reuters
  • Rescue workers carry the body of a victim, recovered from a house swept by a landslide at Kokkayar village, in Idukki district. Reuters
    Rescue workers carry the body of a victim, recovered from a house swept by a landslide at Kokkayar village, in Idukki district. Reuters
  • Rescue workers push an overturned vehicle stuck in the debris at the site of a landslide caused by heavy rains in Kokkayar. AFP
    Rescue workers push an overturned vehicle stuck in the debris at the site of a landslide caused by heavy rains in Kokkayar. AFP
  • A car is stuck after flash floods caused by heavy rains in Thodupuzha. AFP
    A car is stuck after flash floods caused by heavy rains in Thodupuzha. AFP
  • A resident carries a dog from the debris after his house was destroyed by flash floods in Thodupuzha. AFP
    A resident carries a dog from the debris after his house was destroyed by flash floods in Thodupuzha. AFP
  • A bird perches on a tree as rain clouds cover the sky in Kochi. AP
    A bird perches on a tree as rain clouds cover the sky in Kochi. AP
  • A man holds an umbrella and watches his grazing cows in Kochi. AP
    A man holds an umbrella and watches his grazing cows in Kochi. AP
  • An Indian navy helicopter on the way to distribute relief material to flood-affected people in Kottayam district. AP
    An Indian navy helicopter on the way to distribute relief material to flood-affected people in Kottayam district. AP
  • Scenes after a landslide triggered by heavy rains in the Western Ghats mountains in Koottickal, Kottayam district. AP
    Scenes after a landslide triggered by heavy rains in the Western Ghats mountains in Koottickal, Kottayam district. AP

Kerala flood death toll rises to 23 as rescuers enter worst-affected areas


Taniya Dutta
  • English
  • Arabic

The death toll from flash floods and landslides in India's southern state of Kerala rose to 23 on Sunday as heavy rain poured down for a third day.

Rescue workers retrieved more bodies, most of them from Kottayam and Idukki districts, on Sunday afternoon when the rain had partially subsided in several parts of the state.

“We can confirm 23 deaths in rain-related incidents in the last 24 hours,” said T Sathi Kumar, an official at the state's Information and Public Relations Department.

“Ten bodies were recovered from Koottikkal in Kottayam and eight bodies have been recovered from Kokayyar in Idukki on Sunday. Four of them were children. The other bodies are recovered from several parts of the state,” he told The National.

Three people died in Kottayam district on Saturday when their houses were washed away, while two drowned in Idukki.

Officials said earlier that at least 20 people were missing in the state after extremely heavy rainfall since Friday night, caused by a low pressure area over the Arabian Sea.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the victims' families and assured people of assistance.

“It is unfortunate that a few lives were lost in heavy rains and landslides in Kerala. Condolences to the families of the deceased," Mr Modi wrote on Twitter.

“Authorities are working on the ground to assist the injured and affected. I pray for everyone’s safety and well-being."

The heavy rains triggered landslides and swelled many rivers across the state. Roads were swept away, houses were damaged and trees uprooted. Several villages in hilly areas were cut off.

Videos shared on social media showed a flash flood barrelling into the town of Erattupetta in southern Kerala. Another clip showed a house disappearing into a river that overflowed into its backyard.

Authorities said the worst-affected areas were Kottayam and Idukki, which received 164.5 millimetres and 305.5mm of rainfall, respectively, since Saturday morning.

The situation in the districts was so bad that emergency teams could not operate there on Saturday, Kerala Revenue Minister K Rajan said.

"I have not seen something like this before. Yesterday the rescue teams couldn't even enter the districts but the rescue work started this morning,” he told The National.

Eleven teams from the National Disaster Relief Force and the armed forces joined the rescue and relief effort. Indian Navy helicopters were dropping food parcels to stranded people.

Although the rain abated on Sunday, the threat of landslides, flooding and rivers overflowing persists.

The level of many rivers was rising above the danger mark as authorities began releasing water from at least seven dams. Residents of low-lying areas along river banks were shifted to safer places.

“More than 2,000 people would be rehabilitated and shifted to different relief camps, one dedicated to Covid-19 positive patients,” Mr Rajan said.

The government asked devotees not to visit the Sabarimala Temple, the state's most revered Hindu place of worship, on Monday.

The temple is situated on a hilltop amid dense forest and surrounded by the Pamba River, which is overflowing. It opened to devotees for monthly prayer rituals on Saturday.

Rain is common in the state at this time but its intensity has grown in recent years. In 2018, widespread flooding triggered by heavy rainfall affected large parts of the state and left about 500 people dead.

'Top Gun: Maverick'

Rating: 4/5

 

Directed by: Joseph Kosinski

 

Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris

 
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP

Group A

Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA

Group B

Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti

Group C

Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia

Group D

Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria

The%20Afghan%20connection
%3Cp%3EThe%20influx%20of%20talented%20young%20Afghan%20players%20to%20UAE%20cricket%20could%20have%20a%20big%20impact%20on%20the%20fortunes%20of%20both%20countries.%20Here%20are%20three%20Emirates-based%20players%20to%20watch%20out%20for.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EHassan%20Khan%20Eisakhil%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMohammed%20Nabi%20is%20still%20proving%20his%20worth%20at%20the%20top%20level%20but%20there%20is%20another%20reason%20he%20is%20raging%20against%20the%20idea%20of%20retirement.%20If%20the%20allrounder%20hangs%20on%20a%20little%20bit%20longer%2C%20he%20might%20be%20able%20to%20play%20in%20the%20same%20team%20as%20his%20son%2C%20Hassan%20Khan.%20The%20family%20live%20in%20Ajman%20and%20train%20in%20Sharjah.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMasood%20Gurbaz%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20opening%20batter%2C%20who%20trains%20at%20Sharjah%20Cricket%20Academy%2C%20is%20another%20player%20who%20is%20a%20part%20of%20a%20famous%20family.%20His%20brother%2C%20Rahmanullah%2C%20was%20an%20IPL%20winner%20with%20Kolkata%20Knight%20Riders%2C%20and%20opens%20the%20batting%20with%20distinction%20for%20Afghanistan.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOmid%20Rahman%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20fast%20bowler%20became%20a%20pioneer%20earlier%20this%20year%20when%20he%20became%20the%20first%20Afghan%20to%20represent%20the%20UAE.%20He%20showed%20great%20promise%20in%20doing%20so%2C%20too%2C%20playing%20a%20key%20role%20in%20the%20senior%20team%E2%80%99s%20qualification%20for%20the%20Asia%20Cup%20in%20Muscat%20recently.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Boulder shooting victims

• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65

HWJN
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UAE%20set%20for%20Scotland%20series
%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20will%20host%20Scotland%20for%20a%20three-match%20T20I%20series%20at%20the%20Dubai%20International%20Stadium%20next%20month.%3Cbr%3EThe%20two%20sides%20will%20start%20their%20Cricket%20World%20Cup%20League%202%20campaigns%20with%20a%20tri-series%20also%20involving%20Canada%2C%20starting%20on%20January%2029.%3Cbr%3EThat%20series%20will%20be%20followed%20by%20a%20bilateral%20T20%20series%20on%20March%2011%2C%2013%20and%2014.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

The Florida Project

Director: Sean Baker

Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe

Four stars

Wonka
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The Matrix Resurrections

Director: Lana Wachowski

Stars:  Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick 

Rating:****

Apple's%20Lockdown%20Mode%20at%20a%20glance
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Match info

Manchester United 1 (Van de Beek 80') Crystal Palace 3 (Townsend 7', Zaha pen 74' & 85')

Man of the match Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)

Signs%20of%20%20%20%20%20%20%20heat%20stroke
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20loss%20of%20sodium%20chloride%20in%20our%20sweat%20can%20lead%20to%20confusion%20and%20an%20altered%20mental%20status%20and%20slurred%20speech%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EBody%20temperature%20above%2039%C2%B0C%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHot%2C%20dry%20and%20red%20or%20damp%20skin%20can%20indicate%20heatstroke%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EA%20faster%20pulse%20than%20usual%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDizziness%2C%20nausea%20and%20headaches%20are%20also%20signs%20of%20overheating%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIn%20extreme%20cases%2C%20victims%20can%20lose%20consciousness%20and%20require%20immediate%20medical%20attention%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
ICC T20 Team of 2021

Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi

MATCH INFO

What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)

Citizenship-by-investment programmes

United Kingdom

The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).

All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.

The Caribbean

Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport. 

Portugal

The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.

“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.

Greece

The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.

Spain

The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.

Cyprus

Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.

Malta

The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.

The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.

Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.

Egypt 

A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.

Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties

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TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014%20PLUS
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The Birkin bag is made by Hermès. 
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.

Updated: November 01, 2021, 10:51 AM