- IMD issues yellow alert for six Keralam districts due to heavy rains.
- Flash floods and landslides claim multiple lives across the state.
- Authorities monitor situation, advise residents in vulnerable areas.
Keralam Rains: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for heavy rains in Keralam’s Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur districts for Monday, September 21. A flash flood in Kottapuzha River in Nilambur on Sunday swept a group of five people leaving two dead and two others missing. The flash flood was triggered by intense showers which has been continuing in several parts of the state.
Chief Minister VD Satheesan has ordered assessment of the flood situation on an hourly basis. A meeting was held by Disaster Management Authority Commissioner Vigneswari IAS to review conditions in Idukki and Kottayam.
A yellow alert means there can be weather-related disruptions. People staying in hilly and low-lying areas have been advised to follow instructions issued by local administration and disaster management authorities. Meanwhile, IMD has also forecast light to moderate rains for other Kerala districts over the next few days.
Idukki And Kottayam Given SMS Weather Alerts
Additionally, SMS alerts regarding the weather conditions have been issued in Idukki and Kottayam districts. The District Collectors have been instructed to assess the situation and take necessary measures, including evacuation wherever required.
Speaking to ANI, Devikulam MLA F Raja said, This afternoon in Vattavada, workers were engaged in farming when heavy rain began to fall. Seeking shelter, they moved into a nearby shed. Moments later, a landslide occurred from behind the shed, burying the structure under mud and debris.
There were three people inside at the time; two of them were trapped beneath the soil, while one person was rescued and has since been admitted to the hospital. The bodies of the two deceased individuals have been brought to Munnar and will be transferred to the Adimali Taluk Hospital following the inquest procedures. The post-mortem and related formalities will be conducted tomorrow, he further added.
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Meanwhile, the death toll in the flash flood in the Chokkad River has risen to three, with the bodies of one woman and two men who went missing in the incident recovered, officials said on Sunday. The latest body, that of a man, was recovered near Antonikkad.