NILAMBUR: Five people were swept away by a flash flood in the Kottapuzha River at Pookkottumpadam in Nilambur on Sunday evening. One body has been recovered and one person rescued, while three others remain missing.
The incident occurred near TK Colony, where a group of five youths from Vandoor had arrived at the riverbank. Four of them entered the water to bathe when the flash flood struck. Local residents managed to rescue one of them, while the other three were swept away.
Meanwhile, locals recovered the body of a man from the river. The deceased is yet to be identified. Police said the body does not appear to belong to any of the youths in the group, raising concerns that others may also have been swept away in the flash flood.
The flash flood intensified around 5 pm near the Ularvattam and TK Colony stretch of the river, which borders the Chokkad and Amarambalam panchayats. There was no rain in the immediate area at the time, but heavy rainfall in the forest regions caused the river to swell rapidly.
The Nilambur Fire Force, police, local residents and expert divers are searching for the missing persons. Initial reports suggested that the victims were tourists.
The rocky stretch of the river attracts a large number of visitors, many of whom reportedly come after seeing visuals of the spot on social media. Authorities have warned that the stretch is hazardous, particularly during sudden rises in water level.