The armed forces, on Monday, sent relief teams to help people caught in the rain fury.
The Navy sent a 16-member diving team equipped with rigid inflatable boats to rescue marooned villagers from the Thuruthu island in the Periyar river, which is in spate; and another 40-member team to Idukki, where two landslides in quick succession wrecked havoc.
The Army sent three columns of personnel to the landslide site in Idukki. Meanwhile, a 40-member team of NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) personnel along with five tonnes of relief material was ferried by two Indian Air Force aircraft, which landed at the Naval Base here around 7 pm. The personnel and the relief goods were then transported to Idukki by road. A defence spokesperson said the Air Force would also be sending two Advanced Light Helicopters for support operations later in the day.
