Kerala battered by intense rains; Uprooted trees cause damage, fatality

Thiruvananthapuram: Heavy monsoon rains battered Kerala on Sunday, causing widespread damage as houses were inundated, low-lying areas flooded, and agricultural lands ruined, with trees uprooted across the state, including one that crashed onto a moving train in Thrissur.

Officials said that a man was killed when an uprooted tree fell on him while he was riding a scooter in Villyappally, Kozhikode.

In another incident, two teenage siblings were electrocuted by snapped wires after a tree fell onto an electric post while they were fishing in a stream in Kodanchery, in the same district, they said.

In view of predictions of intense downpours to continue, a holiday was declared for educational institutions in 9 districts of the state, including Malappuram, Kozhikode, Pathanamthitta, Kannur, Kasaragod, Thrissur, Wayanad, Kottayam and Idukki.

A large number of houses and vehicles were damaged, rivers were in spate, and shutters of some dams were raised in the state as the southwest monsoon gained strength.

At least 40 houses were partially damaged, and four were completely destroyed in the northern Palakkad district.

Over 30 houses were flooded, and torrential rains caused waterlogging in Chentrappinni in Thrissur district.

Several families were shifted to safer locations in Padinjarathara in Wayanad as flood water entered their houses due to alleged unscientific sand removal in connection with the construction of a canal in the area.

A 28-member NDRF team reached Wayanad as rains intensified, authorities said.

Acres of agricultural land, including rubber plantations, were destroyed in Thodupuzha in the hill district of Idukki.

Earlier in the day, an uprooted tree crashed onto a moving train near the railway bridge in Cheruthuruthy in Thrissur district on Sunday morning. Tragedy was averted as the loco pilot acted swiftly to stop the train, authorities said, adding that no casualties were reported in the incident.

As the heavy downpour continued, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) placed five northern districts — Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod — under a ‘red alert’ for the day, predicting extremely heavy rainfall there.