Kerala rain-related death toll rises to nine
Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 21 (UNI) The death toll in rain-related incidents in Kerala has risen to nine, with three more bodies being recovered from the Kottapuzha River in the Nilambur area of Malappuram district on Monday.
The latest recoveries took the number of deaths in the flash flood at Kottapuzha to five. Two people were killed in a landslide in Idukki, while two others died in separate rain-related incidents in Kottayam. One person is still missing following the flash flood in Malappuram, and search operations are continuing. The flash flood occurred near TK Colony in the Amarambalam-Nilambur area on Sunday evening after heavy rain led to a sudden rise in the water level of the Kottapuzha River. Several people were swept away by the strong currents.
The three bodies recovered on Monday were found during intensified search operations along the river and downstream areas. Police, Fire and Rescue Services personnel, Disaster Management Force teams and local residents are participating in the search for the missing person. In Idukki, two people were killed after a landslide struck a shed at Kottakambur in Vattavada. Another person sustained injuries in the incident. In Kottayam, two people lost their lives in separate incidents triggered by the rain.
One person was killed after a mudslide hit a house, while another died after being struck by falling boulders while travelling on a two-wheeler. The deaths were reported amid heavy rain in several parts of the state, particularly in the hilly regions, where the downpour triggered flash floods, landslides and mudslides.
Chief Minister V D Satheesan has directed the authorities to assess the rain situation across the state every hour and take immediate measures, including evacuation of people from vulnerable areas wherever necessary.
A special Disaster Management Force team has been deployed in the Nilambur-Amarambalam area to assist the ongoing rescue and search operations. Authorities have stepped up surveillance and preparedness in the affected districts in view of the continuing rain and the forecast of further heavy rainfall in parts of the state.
UNI DS
