Japan PM Fumio Kishida
Newly inducted Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday wrote to PM Modi over the aftermath of Uttarakhand and Kerala rains, and extended his condolences to the victims. Talking about the floods and landslides that battered the two states, he said that Japan will always stand with India to overcome the loss of lives.
"I extend my heartfelt condolences for victims and their bereaved families. I also express my sympathy to those who suffered and pray for the quickest possible reconstruction of the affected areas", he wrote.
A total of 65 people were killed, 22 injured and two went missing during the recent spell of downpours in Uttarakhand which also saw 60 houses being damaged. Many hectares of forest and agricultural land with standing paddy crop in them have also swept away in the rains with the Chief Minister pegging the losses as per an initial estimate at Rs 7,000 crore.
Search and rescue operations continue in the upper areas of Kumaon and Garhwal regions to evacuate stranded people, including tourists, to safety.
After a brief lull, heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, lashed several parts of Kerala on Thursday as the weathermen issued an Orange Alert for eight districts of the state indicating very heavy showers.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its latest update, put the districts- Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kannur- on Orange alert.
