KOTTAYAM: Due to the torrential rains, battering the region for the past couple of days, the flood situation in Kottayam continued to be grim on Sunday morning as major rivers including Meenachil, Manimala and Muvattupuzha started to overflow.
A youth went missing after the car he was travelling in got caught in the flood waters near Manarcadu. According to the authorities, Justin, a native of Angamaly, is missing and search operation by NDRF team is underway,
Local residents said, the incident occurred around 2.30 am on Sunday when the youth was returning to Kochi after dropping a passenger, who hired the vehicle from CIAL, Nedumbassery, at Kottayam. The car fell into a paddy field near Palamury where road was submerged after a side stream of Meenachil river was overflowing.
Following the alert by Justin, local residents arrived the spot and involved in taking out the vehicle. While attempting to release the hand brake of the vehicle Justin was caught in the current along with the vehicle and went missing, said police.
The Meenachil river, which flowed well above the danger mark, breached banks at several points along the Kottayam-Kumarakom route and entered the road. Till Saturday evening, the authorities opened 117 relief camps cross the district, which together accommodated 2,851 persons from 888 families.
Meanwhile, the receding flood waters caused widespread troubles across the low-lying regions from Vaikom to Changanassery, bringing life across the eastern parts of the district to a complete standstill.
The vehicular traffic on AC Road has been totally disrupted it got submerged in various locations. Besides, traffic on Ettumanoor-Pala and Pala-Erattupetta roads could not be restored.
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