The resurgent monsoon claimed the lives of nine persons, including the members of a family, in separate incidents of landslips, drowning, and electrocution in Kozhikode district on Friday.
Four persons were killed in landslip at Vilangad village in Vanimel grama panchayat in Vadakara taluk that occurred at 2 a.m. The victims were identified as Kuttikkattil Benny, 55, his wife Marykutty, 52, and their son, Akhil Philip, 21, and Lissy, 48, wife of Manpalakkayil Dasan.
The bodies of Mahful Mohammed Haji, 56, and Shareef Saqafi, 42, and Libesh Balan, 27, who were declared missing following a flash flood were recovered from Kottappally village in Kuttiyadi. Haji and Saqafi were chairman of academic council and office-in-charge respectively of Sirajul Huda Educational Complex, Kuttiyadi.
Forty-year-old Ranjith Lal of Malikkadavu was killed after he fell into the gushing waters and smashed his head on a rock at Kannadikkal in Vengeri village on the outskirts of Kozhikode city.
In another incident, K. Sathyan, 48, was electrocuted when he accidentally touched a live wire at Chemmancherry in Koyilandy taluk.
The flood situation appeared grim, with 21,371 people from 6,130 families being relocated to 197 relief camps in various parts of the district. A majority of people, more than 16,859, have been accommodated in 130 camps in Kozhikode taluk. Schools, cultural centres, and angandwadis have been converted into make-shift relief camps at Thamarassery, Vadakara, and Koyilandy taluks as well.
The incessant rain for the last two days left a trail of destruction in 27 grama panchayats, mostly in the hill regions of the district. Educational institutions remained closed even as a red alert was sounded for three days. Iruvanjipuzha and Chaliyar have been overflowing their banks.
Meanwhile, NDRF and BSF teams are engaged in rescue operations in Thamarassery and adjoining areas. Several low-lying regions in the city have also gone under water. Bus services were disrupted at Thiruvambady, Kodencherry, Thamarassery, and Mukkom. KSRTC operated partial schedules. The overflowing Iruvanjipuzha and Cherupuzha flooded roads. Thiruvambady town was cut off for more than six hours. The district administration has banned heavy vehicles from plying through the Ghat Road connecting Kozhikode and Wayanad districts. KSRTC will conduct only temporary services if required. Minister for Excise and Labour T.P. Ramakrishnan, who chaired a meeting at the collectorate to review relief and rescue operations said priority would be given to shifting of flood-affected people to safer locations.
The District Tourism Promotion Council has imposed restrictions on tourists at Arippara, Thusharagiri, and Sarovaram. Regulations have also been imposed on Kozhikode, Beypore, Kappad and Vadakara beaches.
