Kerala rain updates | October 17, 2021

IMD has put 11 districts on yellow alert on Sunday for isolated heavy rainfall

October 17, 2021 11:41 am | Updated 10:00 pm IST

Floodwaters enter the Chakkulathukavu Bhagavathy Temple in Alappuzha on Sunday morning, October 17, 2021

Floodwaters enter the Chakkulathukavu Bhagavathy Temple in Alappuzha on Sunday morning, October 17, 2021

Torrential rain pummelled southern and central Kerala districts throughout Saturday, triggering landslips and floods which left many dead and wreaked havoc across Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki districts.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who chaired a review meeting in the evening, described the situation as grave and promised all-out efforts to rescue people stranded in cut-off locations. Indications are that the weather situation will not worsen, Mr. Vijayan said.

Higher education institutions which were slated to function from Monday will reopen only on Wednesday, in view of the rainfall situation, it was decided at the meeting chaired by the Chief Minister. The Sabarimala pilgrimage will be avoided till Tuesday, in view of the forecast that the rain will continue till then.

(Inputs from Kerala bureau)

Here are the updates :

6.25 p.m. | New Delhi

PM Modi speaks with CM Vijayan to discuss situation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and discussed the situation in the wake of heavy rains and landslides in the state.  The toll from disastrous flooding caused by heavy rains and landslides in hilly areas of two central Kerala districts rose to 18 as rescue workers recovered more bodies from the rubbles on Sunday.

"Spoke to Kerala CM Shri @vijayanpinarayi and discussed the situation in the wake of heavy rains and landslides in Kerala. Authorities are working on the ground to assist the injured and affected," Modi tweeted.  "I pray for everyone's safety and well-being," he said.

"It is saddening that some people have lost their lives due to heavy rains and landslides in Kerala. Condolences to the bereaved families," Mr. Modi said in another tweet.

6.00 p.m. | Kottayam/Idukki

Kerala landslide toll touches 18 as rescuers dig deeper

The toll from disastrous flooding caused by heavy rains and landslides in hilly areas of two central Kerala districts rose to 18 as rescue workers recovered more bodies from the rubbles on Sunday.

State Revenue Minister K Rajan said the rescue workers have recovered 15 bodies from the debris and slush of the landslides that had hit various places of Idukki and Kottayam districts on Saturday.

 

"The rescue workers have recovered 15 bodies till now. This includes 12 bodies from Koottickal in Kottayam, one body from Peerumedu and two which were recovered yesterday from Kanjar in Idukki district," Rajan told PTI.

Idukki District Collector Sheeba George said three bodies were recovered from Kokkayar in Idukki district today, a hilly region which was heavily hit by yesterday's devastating landslides.

"The search is on for five missing persons," she told PTI .

Officials said the bodies of three children buried under slush were recovered after an intense rescue efforts.

The children, aged eight, seven and four, were found holding to each other, officials said.

Kerala Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, who visited Kokkayar and Koottickal alleged that the state government failed to launch rescue operations in time in the affected areas.

At Koottickal in Kottayam district, a family of six including a 40-year-old man, his 75-year-old mother, 35-year-old wife and three girl children aged 14, 12 and 10 were killed as their house was swept away in the landslide.

Bodies of three were recovered yesterday and remaining bodies were found by the rescuers during their efforts today.

Meanwhile, the heavy rains subdued a day after it wreaked havoc in the State.

1.20 p.m. | Thiruvananthapuram

CM Pinarayi Vijayan warns of more rains till October 17 evening

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has warned of heavy rain accompanied by lightning and thunder across Kerala on Sunday.

In a Facebook post, Mr. Vijayan urged the public to exercise utmost caution. He urged citizens to prepare themselves to move to a relief camp, higher ground or safer localities if requested by government officials.

Mr. Vijayan said the Centre Water Commission has warned that rivers flowing through Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram would continue to be in spate, and water levels might rise further in the next 24 hours.

 

12.45 p.m. | Koottickal

 

Two more dead bodies have been recovered from Koottickal, taking the total number of deaths to 11.

12 p.m. | Thiruvananthapuram

Rainfall decreases in intensity over Kerala

The intensity of rainfall over Kerala is decreasing with the low pressure area over southeast Arabian sea and adjoining Kerala becoming less marked. Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts, where torrential rains wreaked havoc on Saturday, also reported reduced rainfall on Sunday morning. The IMD Meteorological Centre here has forecast light to moderate rainfall at many places with only isolated heavy rainfall over Kerala during the next 24 hours. Rainfall is expected to further decrease subsequently.

The IMD has put 11 districts on yellow alert on Sunday for isolated heavy rainfall. Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram and Kozhikode are on yellow alert.

- Tiki Rajwi

11.45 a.m. | Alappuzha

Several low-lying areas in Alappuzha face inundation

Though rainfall almost subsided in Alappuzha on Sunday morning, a rise in water levels in major rivers has led to the flooding of low-lying areas. Floodwaters have entered a number of houses in Thalavady, Muttar, Edathua, Veeyapuram and Pallippad in Upper Kuttanad.

Parts of the Alappuzha- Changanassery (AC) road and Ambalappuzha- Thiruvalla road have been waterlogged. At least 30 families from Mulakuzha and Edanad in Chengannur were shifted to relief camps after floodwaters inundated the areas.

With the water flow through the rivers including Pampa, Manimala and Achencoil expected to increase further due to heavy downpours in the neighbouring districts, the district administration has made all necessary arrangements to deal with any exigency. Officials said that boats would be deployed to conduct rescue operations if needed.

 

11.35 p.m.

 

 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted:

"We are continuously monitoring the situation in parts of Kerala in the wake of heavy rainfall and flooding. The central govt will provide all possible support to help people in need. NDRF teams have already been sent to assist the rescue operations. Praying for everyone’s safety."  

11.15 a.m. | Koottickal

 

Dead body of one more person, identified as Martin, recovered from Kavai, taking the total number of deaths in Koottickal panchayat to nine.

 

10.45 a.m. | Kootickal

 

 

One more dead body of a woman recovered from Kavali, Koottickal. With this, total number of deaths in Koottickal rises to eight.

Kottayam

Four dead bodies recovered in Kerala’s Kottayam

A day after the Koottickal village was hit by a series of landslides, the authorities on October 17 recovered four dead bodies from the location, taking the total number of deaths to seven.

One of the deceased was identified as Shallat, a 29-year-old native of Koottickal. During a search operation in the morning, the dead body was found among the debris. The deceased was not among the list of persons, who had been reported to have gone missing from the village the other day. The other three persons are yet to be identified.

Searches are now on to trace others, who have gone missing from the village in the landslides.

 

Thiruvananthapuram

Several families evacuated to safety

The heavy rainfall that pounded the capital district on Saturday caused waterlogging in low-lying areas, damaged houses and forced the district administration to evacuate several families to safer locations.

Search will resume on Sunday for a Jharkhand native who went missing in the Amayizhanjan Canal on Saturday afternoon.

The missing man, reportedly a migrant labourer, has been identified as Nagardeep Mandal (30).

 

 

Rain havoc leaves 8 dead in Kerala; Army called in

Torrential rain pummelled southern and central Kerala districts throughout Saturday, triggering landslips and floods which left eight dead and wreaked havoc across Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki districts.

Heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms in some cases, pounded region due to a low pressure area over the south-east Arabian Sea since the early hours of the day.

Six of a family were killed while 15 others were reported missing in landslips in Plapally and Kavali in Koottickal panchayat of Kottayam district. Search and rescue operations were hindered by heavy rainfall and poor light. A man and a woman hailing from Koothattukulam were killed after their car was washed away by floodwaters at Kanjar in Thodupuzha, Idukki.

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