Pope Francis prays for victims of Kerala floods

Pope Francis expressed solidarity with the inhabitants of Kerala on Sunday, where incessant rains since have caused the state's worst floods in a century.

The pontiff, after his Angelus prayer, invited the thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square to join him in prayer for all the victims and people tried by the disaster, asking for concrete support from the international community.

During the current monsoon, Kerala has been hit with over a third more rain than average, according to the weather office.

Heavy rains let up on Sunday, giving some respite for thousands of marooned families, while authorities feared an outbreak of disease among over 200,000 people crammed into relief camps.

The India Meteorological Department forecast heavy rainfall only at one or two places of Kerala on Sunday and withdrew a red alert in several districts. Flood waters too began to recede from several places.