Thiruvananthapuram: The incessant rain in Kerala has claimed as many as 110 lives so far. About 10,000 people have been shifted to the 365 relief centres put up across the state. The rain showed signs of abating in south Kerala, but the northern districts are still being lashed by heavy downpour. The meteorology department said that the rain was expected to continue until July 23. Fishermen have been advised to stay away from the sea as the wind speed is expected to reach 60 km per hour.
The death toll, included a two-year-old girl, who drowned in the waterlogged yard of her house at Edathua in Alappuzha district. The deceased Angel is the daughter of one Jaymon and Beena.
At nearby Mankombu, a 70-year-old farm labourer died of heart attack while trying to salvage the rice crop from flooding. A D Joseph was pumping out water from the paddy field on Wednesday night when a bund wall burst. He immediately called up the other farmers but they found him lying unconscious on the field. He died before he could be brought to the hospital.
The body of a young man from Manjali, near Adoor in Pathanamthitta district was recovered from the Manimala River after a search operation led by a naval team. Praveen, aged 24, is the deceased, though his companion Shahul, 21, is missing. Both were caught in strong currents.
A woman in Pathanamthitta died for want of medical attention as she could not be taken to the hospital due to the flooding of the roads. Anooja, aged 36, is the wife of one Manoj K Abraham from Peringara.
The other dead include Benny, 19. He is the son of Babu Joseph and Bincy from Kaviyoor in Pathanamthitta district. He died after falling into a flooded paddy field.
Meanwhile, two more people were reported missing from the Ernakulam district. Ayyappan (79) from Chendamangalam and Sankaran Nair (79) from Piravom could not be traced so far.
Transport hit badly
Public transport went haywire in Kottayam as low-lying stretches on the Alappuzha-Changanassery road and the Vaikom-Thalayolaparambu road were flooded. The speed limit on trains continues near the Neelimangalam railway bridge over Meenachil river, close to Kottayam town.
Except some areas in the high ranges, Idukki got a reprieve from the rain fury on Thursday. However, landslides were reported from Chottupara, Periyar and Vallakkadavu, but there were no casualties.
Dams full
Reservoirs in the state have been fast filling in the downpour. All three shutters of the Thenmala Parappar dam have been opened after rain intensified in Kollam district following a lull. A flood alert has been issued on the shores of the Kallada River and on the Munroe Island in Kollam district. A house was completely shattered in rain in Kollam district while 55 houses were damaged.
The reservoirs at Palakkad, Malampuzha, Parambikkulam and Aliyar are nearing their capacity. Authorities have alerted the people in the vicinity that the water could be released anytime. Warnings have been issued to people living by the Kalpathi River, Chittoor River and the Bharathappuzha in Palakkad district.
Rain has intensified across the Kannur district. Crop loss of Rs 5.43 lakh has been assessed over 2 hectares on Thursday. As many as 30 houses were damaged in the district so far.
Rain-hit Kerala | In pictures
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