Rescue Crews Search for Stranded Animals Amid Deadly India Flooding

Rescue teams from the Humane Society International (HSI) have been combing abandoned areas in India’s Kerala state to find animals left behind by families fleeing flooding and landslides after days of heavy rain. News reports said that at least 164 people were killed in the widespread flooding. The chief minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, announced on August 17 that a red alert was issued across all but one of the state’s 14 districts of Kerala and that further rainfall was expected. Sally Varma, HSI India’s Education and Awareness Officer, said in a statement that teams working in Nilambur and Tirur had found many dead animals. “We are still finding abandoned dogs and were recently able to rescue 13 dogs and a tiny kitten who we found trembling as the floods raged around him,” she said. “We are bracing ourselves for when the floods subside and we can finally access some of the areas currently totally cut off, where we may find more animals we’re desperately hoping to reach.” This video shows conditions in Kerala, as the rescue team moves through rain-hit areas in search for stranded animals. Some of the rescued animals can also be seen safely indoors. Credit: Humane Society International via Storyful