Six members of a family are feared killed and 15 others are missing in landslips in the eastern high ranges of Kottayam on Saturday.
Koottickal grama panchayat suffered the worst damage, where at least three houses and a tea shop were washed away in two landslips at Plappally and Kavali. Three of family were killed and three others went missing in Kavali. The deceased were identified as Claramma Joseph, 65, Simi, 35, and her 10-year-old daughter Sona.
Eight persons were missing in Plappally. According to sources, the body of one person who had gone missing from Plappally was recovered from Peruvanthanam panchayat downstream.
Seven persons reportedly went missing in a landslip in Poovanchi in Kokkayar panchayat on the Kottayam-Idukki border. While local people rescued two persons, the search for seven persons was progressing.
Road access cut off
Several villages along the high ranges have been marooned after road access was cut off with the washing away of a bridge at Yendayar. Though there were landslips at Cholathadam in Poonjar Thekkekkara, Inchiyani near Mundakkayam, and Pullupara near Peruvanthanam in Idukki no casualties were reported.
Traffic restored
Meanwhile, water started receding from town areas by late Saturday evening. Authorities have restored vehicular traffic in arterial roads including NH-183 (Kottayam-Kumili), Kanjirappally-Erattupetta, Mundakkayam- Koruthodu, and Kanjirappally-Manimala.
