IDUKKI: With monsoon gathering steam here over the last couple of days, the district on Monday reported two rain-related fatalities. The first victim, a 52-year-old woman, died after a mud ridge collapsed atop an estate line house where her family stayed at Kozhikkanam tea estate in Elappara on Monday morning.
A local source said that the incident happened around 6am. Bhagyam alias Pusha, wife of Raju of Kozhikkanam estate (Division 2), was working in the kitchen when the mud ridge collapsed on the room. Bhagyam, who was trapped under the debris, was later pulled out by rescuers led by fire officials from Peermade.
Though her children and husband were fast asleep in the nearby room, none of them was injured in the incident. Heavy rain lashing the district has spread a trail of destruction across Idukki on Monday. Traffic on the Adimaly - Munnar route was blocked after mud and huge boulders rolled down into the highway on Monday morning.
In another incident, a 59-year-old man died in a mudslide occurred in Muthuvankudi, Anachal, on Monday. The deceased is Poulose, 59, of Kuzhiyalil. He was engaged in construction work of the SNDP building near Muthuvankudi when the mishap occurred and he was caught under the debris. Though he was immediately rushed to the hospital by local residents, his life could not be saved. After conducting post-mortem his body will be handed over to relatives on Tuesday.
As many as four houses were damaged in rain fury in Idukki on Sunday alone. Uprooted trees falling into the highways, the65 blocking traffic was reported at various locations in Idukki.