Aid workers in India warn scale of flood damage unclear

KOCHI, India — The people of the flood-battered Indian state of Kerala are “in a great struggle to rebuild their lives,” the state’s top official said Wednesday, as aid workers warned it could take days before the full scope of the destruction is clear.

Though rains have stopped over the past three days and floodwaters are receding, vast swaths of the tropical state, known for its idyllic villages and beautiful beaches, remain underwater or coated with mud, and many people have no drinking water or electricity.

“We know the humanitarian needs are enormous, but it will be some time before we know just how big that is,” Ray Kancharla, a manager with the aid group Save The Children, said in a Tuesday statement. “Roofs and walls have collapsed; roads have been completely washed away.”

He estimated it could take “well over a week” before the effects of the devastation are clear.