Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 19
A total of 846,680 people made homeless by devastating floods in Kerala are sheltering in 3,734 camps and the last stage of rescue operations is now on, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Sunday.

"Our prime concern was to save lives. It appears it has been met," Vijayan told the media amid reports that the floods, the worst since 1924, have left around 370 people dead and led to widespread destruction.

He said the next task would be to help people get back to normal life, for which a plan was being worked out.

"Rehabilitation will be done by various agencies," the Chief Minister said. He pledged that all towns and cities hit by the floods would be cleaned on a war footing.

Pinaryai Vijayan on Sunday urged the people of the flood-ravaged state to use social media cautiously in order to stop the spread of false news of the devastation.

"Attention: Efforts are in progress to save even the last person stranded. Many of the requests coming to helpline numbers are for people who are already rescued. Sending erroneous information can only delay rescue efforts. Kindly forward only messages that are valid," the Chief Minister's Office said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, a video has gone viral showing a helicopter pilot engaged in rescue operations where people wave out to him. But when he asked the people to get in the chopper, they refused saying that it was only to get a selfie.

As of Sunday, the toll from the torrential rains and the subsequent floods that has ravaged Kerala since August 9 stood at 370.

846,680 people in relief camps: Kerala CM