Hero dog saves family in flood-hit Kerala

A family in the flood-ravaged Indian state of Kerala narrowly escaped death after their pet dog woke them up moments before a landslide destroyed their home, local media reported yesterday.

Mohanan P. and his family were sleeping at home in the mountainous Idukki district when their pet dog started barking raucously at around 3:00 am, waking the household.

"That's when we realised something was wrong. I went out to see and we had to just rush out of the house," Mohanan told Indian news network NDTV.

No sooner had the family rushed out when the landslide ploughed down a nearby hill and demolished their home.

The family, dog in tow, have since moved to a government-run relief camp nearby.

Flash floods triggered by the annual monsoon rains have pounded the southern tourist hotspot in the past few days, killing 39 people and leaving 100,000 more homeless so far.

The US embassy Thursday advised its citizens to avoid the areas affected and monitor local media for weather updates.

More than a million foreign tourists visited Kerala last year, according to official data.