Houses destroyed in coastal Thiruvananthapuram as rain fury continues

More families shifted to relief camps

Houses along the Valiathura coastline bear the brunt of the rough sea on Sunday evening. Photo: S. Mahinsha

Massive damage to property in the rain has been reported in the district, with the coastal areas bearing the brunt of the monsoon fury.

Heavy rain that lashed the region during the past two days destroyed some houses and damaged others, a majority of them in Vettukad. Several trees got uprooted, snapping power connections and causing minor traffic disruptions in a few places.

As many as 46 houses were damaged at Vettukad, as tidal waves battered the coast. Seawater entered several houses.

More than 26 families from the area were shifted to the nearby Shampuvattam Government Upper Primary School on Sunday morning, Deputy Collector B. Chandrika told

The Hindu .

With the sea becoming dangerously rough during the past 24 hours, more people from Valiathura had shifted to the two temporary camps at Fisheries Residential School and Government Upper Primary School.

As on Sunday, more than 550 people were staying in these camps. Adequate arrangements had been made to provide food and water to them, she said.

Valiathura councillor Tony Oliver said six houses at Kuzhivilakkam were damaged when huge waves lashed the coast.

Two houses were destroyed and one damaged at R.V. Puram at Peroorkada when the boundary wall of a building caved in.

Trees were uprooted at Valiathura, Veli, Pettah, Medical College, Akkulam, Pattoor, R.V. Puram, Palayam, and Vettamukku, a Fire and Rescue Services person said.

Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar visited the coastal areas of Vettukad and interacted with families that had lost their houses. He promised all assistance to those staying in the relief camps.