The death toll in the flash flood that swept through the Kottapuzha River at TK Colony near Pookkottumpadam in Nilambur, Malappuram, rose to five on Monday, while a search is continuing for a woman who remains missing.
The deceased have been identified as Anas Mangadan, 31, of Edarikode town in Kottakkal, owner of Mangadan Bus; Muhammedkutty, 65, of Tirur; Srambikkal Raheem, 35, of Tharish in Karuvarakundu; Sajjad, 23, of Kottakkunnu in Vandoor; and Karuppath Rafeeq, 41, of Chettiyarammal in Vandoor. Raheem was a conductor on an RTC bus operating on the Kalikavu-Tirur route.
The bodies of Anas and Muhammedkutty were recovered on Sunday night, while those of Raheem, Sajjad and Rafeeq were recovered on Monday morning. The bodies were found at Muttikkund in Pottikkallu and behind Assumption School at Anthonikkad during search operations.
All the deceased were tourists who had gathered along the river on Sunday, a holiday. Sajitha, a resident of TK Colony, is still missing and the search for her is continuing.
The flash flood occurred around 5 pm on Sunday following heavy rain in the forest. A large number of people had gathered along different stretches of the river, from Olarvattam Canal to TK Colony. Tourists had visited spots including Kettungal, Anakkund, Balawadippadi and Koipra, with several people entering the river.
The water level rose suddenly, sweeping away people who were in and near the river. Some managed to escape by climbing onto tree branches and rocks, while local residents rescued around 30 people who had taken refuge in such places. Several others remained stranded at different locations.
The search operation was halted around 9.30 pm on Sunday due to darkness and adverse weather conditions. It resumed at 6 am on Monday.