'Eight people in a house nearby are still under the mud' - British mother trapped in Kerala tells of flood horror
"We know some people nearby who died... 14 people in one house, but only six people have been found so far, the others are still under the mud."
A mother from Halifax told ITV News how the flooding in Kerala, which has killed at least 324 people, is the worst she has ever seen and has resulted in the deaths of those she knew.
Jeeja Matthews was visiting family in the southern Indian state when unprecedented flooding left her, her sister, her niece and her elderly mother trapped in the upstairs of their home as the water continued to rise.
While Ms Matthews' husband took her children to a safer area, her 70-year-old mother was not well enough to leave the house, and so she stayed with her, not realising how bad the flooding would become.
"My house was surrounded by water, we couldn't get out of the house," Ms Matthews recalled.
"There was no transport, no electricity... the water came into our house.
"Downstairs was filled with water" which came "up to her hips", she said.
"We were really scared... we were worried for our lives."
Eventually the family were rescued by council workers on Wednesday, who took them to safety in nearby Thrissur.
On Friday, as the floodwaters began to recede, Ms Matthews was able to return to her home, but said she is "really worried" about the many others who are still "trapped" by the flooding.
To make matters worse, Ms Matthews and her son, daughter and husband were all due to fly home to the UK on Tuesday, but currently the airport is "flooded" and closed until at least August 26.
Ms Matthews said the whole situation has left her "very stressed", and after contacting her airline, she was told she would not be able to get a flight back to the UK until at least September 8.
This flight would be from the state's capital, Thiruvananthapuram, 10 hours away, leaving Ms Matthews fearful that she could could lose her job due to being away for so long.
While the rains stopped on Friday, providing rescue workers with a chance to evacuate stranded people, Ms Matthews told how the situation remains "really bad" with "not enough medical services, no petrol, and no food in the shops".
More than 223,000 people across the state have been forced to flee their homes.
At present, more than 900 people have died across India in flooding and landslides caused by the monsoon rains, which run from June to September.