Woman gives birth after helicopter rescue from India floods

The woman gave birth to a healthy baby boy around 30 minutes after she was rescued. [AFP]

A heavily pregnant woman stranded by floods in the Indian state of Kerala gave birth just after being airlifted to safety, an Indian Navy spokesman said, as the military stepped up rescue operations on Saturday.

Dozens of navy helicopters have embarked on high-risk missions to save people from rooftops and isolated land as the southern state battles a flood crisis that has left at least 324 people dead.