Row upon row of trucks are lined up at the check-posts on the Kerala border, carrying perishable items for the upcoming festive week of Onam and Bakri-eid. Thanks to the havoc wreaked by the rain, these trucks are unable to move an inch into the ravaged state. Officials have said nearly 75,000 houses have collapsed or been washed away in the last few days alone, with hundreds of lives lost.

While thousands of people have been rescued, hundreds are still waiting for help in remote areas. The losses in terms of human life and property are yet to be ascertained but are expected to be staggering.