Chennai, India, Aug 22, 2018 / 14:02 pm
Record flash floods and landslides in the southwest state of Kerala in India have left hundreds dead and thousands more displaced after August rains late in the monsoon season broke three dams and overflowed river banks.
International aid agency Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has said they are working with the government and other local agencies to quickly provide emergency aid to people most in need.
"People here have lost everything, including their cars, their keepsakes and their clothes. Many have even had their homes washed away by landslides. Others are coming back to find their homes in complete ruin," said Jomey Joseph, CRS' head of office in Chennai (a city in neighboring Tamil Nadu), who is leading the agency's Kerala response.
"People say they've never witnessed so much rain in their lifetimes. Even those families who are better off have been devastated by this disaster," he added.