Sikh Volunteers Clean Church in Flood-Hit Kerala

Volunteers from Khalsa Aid at the Thalavady St John's Marathoma Church. Indian Express

A team of fourteen Sikh volunteers from Khalsa Aid came forward to clean up a church in Alleppey, Kerala, which was filled with slush from the floodwaters.

Following a two-day cleanup at the Thalavady St John's Marathoma Church at Neerattupuram in Alleppey, local Christians were able to access the church premises and also hold service and prayers.

"The local Christian community was unable to offer their Sunday Prayers as the church was filled with water and people were unable to access it. They requested our volunteers to clean the church for the Sunday mass," Amarpreet Singh, Asia Pacific managing director for Khalsa Aid told Indian Express.

"Our team sprung into action and cleaned the church in two days so that the community could offer prayers without any hurdles. They were overwhelmed by the dedication of our volunteers," he added.

The 2018 floods have been described as the worst to hit Kerala after 1924.

The death toll rose to 445 on Aug. 26.