PTI, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/KOCHI: As rains abated and rescue operations were in the final stages, flood-hit Kerala was faced with the gigantic task of rehabilitating lakhs of people rendered homeless and preventing outbreak of diseases, while the death toll mounted to 216, officials said. Over 7.24 lakh displaced people have been sheltered in 5,645 relief camps dotting the state, they said.

Lt. Gen. D R Soni, the chief of the Army’s Southern Command, told a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram that rescue operations were still continuing and drones being used to help reach to people trapped in areas not easily accessible.

He said 1,500 army personnel were engaged in rescue operations and people stranded on rooftops and inaccesible areas were being winched with the help of defence helicopters. Meanwhile, with the recovery of six more bodies at Paroor in Ernakulam district yesterday night, the death toll in the current spell of monsoon fury has risen to 216. Efforts were now under way to clear the houses of the debris to make them habitable, officials said, underscoring the need for making available disinfectants like bleaching powder in adequate quantities to prevent outbreak of water-borne diseases.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Kerala is striving together as one to overcome the “catastrophic” floods with “monumental strength”. Referring to some messages being circulated on social media denigrating the relief efforts by the government, he said in a Facebook post that anyone trying to “pull us down will face serious consequences”.