The Army has joined operations to rescue people stranded due to floods and landslides in rain-battered Kodagu district bordering Kerala, officials said on Friday.

All major roads leading to Kodagu are blocked and a massive rescue operation has been launched, they said.

Multiple agencies, including the Indian Army’s one column of Dogra Regiment with 60 personnel, are involved in the operation.

The Army’s Engineering task force, comprising 73 personnel with boats and other rescue equipment, is on its way to the area, officials said.

The Navy’s 12 expert divers-cum-surface rescuers with rafts, National Disaster Response Force’s one team (30 + 1 officer) with equipment, SDRF’s 30-member team with boats and equipment, civil defence quick response team-45-member team and Fire Force-200 plus force have been deployed, they said.

Inclement weather led to an Indian Air Force’s mission being aborted, officials said, adding that it would be attempted on Saturday morning from Mysuru using M17 helicopter.

They said 873 people have been rescued and brought to safety and 17 relief camps set up providing shelter to 573 people.

According to data available, six people have died in Kodagu on August 14 and 15 and large number of houses and public property damaged, officials said.

Teams comprising revenue, medical, food and civil services officers are camping in vulnerable villages, and communication restored on priority basis, officials said.

Telecom/mobile service providers have dispatched technical teams to Kodagu to carry out repair works.

Several districts of coastal and Malnad regions of the state like Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkmagaluru, Kodagu, parts of Hassan and Uttara Kannada, have been facing the brunt of incessant rains in the last few days.

Chief Secretary Vijay Bhaskar informed Chief Minister Kumaraswamy about the rescue operations in the flood and landslide-hit districts of coastal and Malnad regions, it said.

The statement said the chief minister was also constantly in touch with the district in-charge ministers who are stationed in their respective districts to monitor the rescue operations.

Mr Kumaraswamy has convened a high level meeting tomorrow to discuss the flood situation and relief work.

He had on Thursday announced a grant-in-aid of Rs. 200 crore to the affected districts for relief work.

Kodagu, the Kashmir of Karnataka is pushed to its worst by heavy floods in less than 24 hours. The entire district is in a severe trauma which we had never witnessed before. It is said that every major highway from Kodagu is blocked because of landslides. So many lives are in danger and people of Kodagu are literally on roads seeking our help. It is all water everywhere, houses are sliding to death, dams overflown; Kodagu has seen the worst face of nature. At this moment, Kodagu is in need of our help. Let us pray for them but also at the same, it is much needed to do our bit to help the flood victims. Here are a fewdevastating pics of Kodagu floods.

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Just look at this.

This is most disastrous video we have seen.
So horrible and sorrysome to this situation
May all stay safe. Hope this bad dream ends soon. #IndiaforKerala #KodaguFloods pic.twitter.com/ZNtZoiVDJm

— Chetan Joshi (@joshichetan08) August 17, 2018

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Situation of Madikeri Private Bus Stop

Rescue Operation :

#KodaguFloods Dakshina Kannada police and public rescuing people from Jodupala on Kodagu border which is hit by a landslide and floods @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/nALWzjBjaF

— vincent dsouza (@vinndz_TNIE) August 17, 2018

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It is all Water everywhere!

#CauveryRiver birth place for #kodagu nature disaster in #Karnataka #KodaguFloods #PrayForKodagu #Karnataka #India #Bengaluru #bangaloretoday #Karnatakarains #karnatakafloods #keralarains #keralafloods #mysore pic.twitter.com/psPqcYmtbk

— Satya (@Mavuri7) August 17, 2018

NDRF and fire personnel rescued 11 people, including a pregnant lady today at Jodupala in #Madikeri.#KodaguFloods #KarnatakaRains.
https://t.co/d5tyvJ0grK pic.twitter.com/NYYryrc86P

— Bangalore Mirror (@BangaloreMirror) August 18, 2018

This is the situation of Kodagu. It is time to act. Here are the 10 Ways to help Kodagu Flood Victims.