One person was killed and scores of people displaced from their homes as several low-lying areas in Thiruvananthapuram district were flooded in the torrential rains that is lashing since the wee hours of Wednesday.
Sixty-year-old Vellappanachari of Chenikonam near Manikanteswaram in the suburbs was killed when his house collapsed in the almost non-stop downpour that is lashing due to a depression formed in Andhra coast.
Several houses had been damaged in Thiruvananthapuram, Neyattinkara, Nedumangad and Chirayinkeezhu taluks. House collapses have been reported from Parasala, Attingal and Aruvikkara. Rain caused flooding in the low lying areas in the capital. Major rivers and canals in the district are in spate. The Pulluvila-Beach road near Poovar had been flooded.
Normal life had been disrupted on account of the rain. Fire and Rescue services control said trees were uprooted at Kalady, Vengode, Poonkulam and Malayinkeezhu disrupting vehicular traffic.
Revenue authorities said large scale damage had been reported due to rain fury from all over the district and Tahsildars are supervising the rescue and relief work in the taluks.
The rail traffic between Thiruvananthapuram and Nagercoil had been suspended since Wednesday morning following a major landslip between Kuzhithurai and Parasala. The railways cancelled three passenger trains in the morning and ran a passenger train from Thiruvananthapuram to Neyyattinkara to the relief of the daily commuters.
The landslip is a major one and there are several land-slip prone areas in the stretch. Railway sources said traffic will be restored only in the evening. Divisional Railway Manager, Rajiv Dutt Sharma has rushed to the spot.
The QR 240 flight of Qatar Airways from Doha to Thiruvananthapuram was diverted to Colombo in the morning due to inclement weather. As the duty hours of the cabin crew have been over, the flight had been held up in the island nation. Airline sources said the flight will arrive from Colombo in the evening and later depart for Doha in the night.
During the 24 hours till 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday, the city received 74.4 mm of rainfall, Neyyattinkara 186 mm and Nedumangad 120 mm. in the district. India Meteorological Department Centre said heavy rain had been forecast till December 10.
