Kottayam: After a brief break, the southwest monsoon intensified in Keralam, bringing heavy rain accompanied by lightning and strong winds to several parts of the state on Sunday. A total of five people were killed in rain-related accidents in Malappuram, Kottayam and Idukki districts.
In Malappuram’s Pookkottumpadam, two men were killed, and around five went missing after being swept away in a flash flood in the Kottapuzha River. The body of a man, aged around 50, was recovered from the river at Muttikkund in Pottikkallu. His body was shifted to the District Hospital, while a search was continuing for others feared missing.
A large number of tourists were present at various locations along the river, from Olarvattom Canal to TK Colony, which are popular tourist spots. As it was a holiday, hundreds of people had gathered at Kettungal, Aanakkundu, Balawadippadi, and other areas along the Koyipra foothills.
Tamil Nadu woman killed in landslide
In Kottayam, a Tamil Nadu woman was killed and her friend injured after a landslide at Velathussery near Teekoy on Sunday. The deceased was identified as Sangeetha Arul Lal (35), of Jawahar Nagar, Chennai.
Police said Sangeetha and her friend, who is also from Tamil Nadu, were returning from a visit to Vagamon, a tourist spot in the district, when the landslide occurred in the evening.
Mud fell onto the road, trapping Sangeetha, who was riding a scooter. Her friend managed to escape with injuries and was shifted to a hospital, police said.
Siblings killed in Idukki
Meanwhile, two siblings were killed and a woman critically injured after a mudslide flattened a shed at Kottakamboor in Idukki on Sunday. The deceased were Balakrishnan and his sister Chinnu. According to officials, Balakrishnan’s wife, Mariamma, was rushed to the hospital.
Following heavy rain in the high-range areas of Kottayam district, minor landslides were reported at several places on Sunday evening, officials said. In another minor landslide, houses were damaged at Mangalagiri near Teekoy, they said.
A house was also damaged after a mudslide at Peringulam in Poonjar Thekkekara panchayat, where one person is missing, and two others were rescued, police said. According to officials, a search is underway to trace the missing person.
The authorities have alerted people to exercise caution during the rain to avoid untoward incidents. The state is on high alert as the India Meteorological Department has predicted heavy rain until September 24.
Rain to continue till September 24
According to the IMD, heavy rain is expected in the state from September 20 to 24 under the influence of a cyclonic circulation over the North Andaman Sea and adjoining areas, which is likely to intensify into a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal.
An orange alert has been sounded for Idukki and Kottayam districts on Sunday, with rainfall ranging from 115.6 mm to 204.4 mm expected within 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Wayanad and Kannur districts have been placed under a yellow alert, with rainfall ranging from 64.5 mm to 115.5 mm expected within 24 hours.
