With the monsoon gaining strength across Idukki in the last few days, the district reported its first rain-related fatality of this season on Monday. A 52-year-old woman died after a mud ridge collapsed into the house where she and her family were staying in Kozhikkanam in Elappara on Monday morning. Local sources said the mud ridge collapses into the line of houses where the Kozhikkanam tea estate workers stay.
The incident happened at 5 am on Monday. Bhagyam alias Pushpa, wife of Raju of Kozhikkanam estate (Division 2) was working in the kitchen area of their house when the mud ridge behind their kitchen area collapsed into the room. Bhagyam, who was trapped under the debris, was later taken under the leadership of fire officials from Peermade that rushed to the spot.
Although her three children and husband were sleeping in the room nearby, none of them were injured in the incident.
Meanwhile, heavy rain which lashed Idukki spread a trail of destruction across the hill district on Monday. Traffic on the Adimaly – Munnar route was blocked after mud and huge boulders rolled down into the highway on Monday morning. The mud and boulders were removed from the highway by the rescue workers and traffic was resumed later.
As many as four houses were damaged in the rain fury in Idukki on Sunday alone. Uprooted trees falling into the highways blocked traffic at various locations in Idukki.
Kallarkutty dam shutters opened
The shutters of the Kallarkutty dam were opened after the water level in the dam reached 454 meters against the full reservoir level of 456.60 meters on Monday, officials said. The shutters of the dam were opened at 6 am on Monday to release as many as 500 cumecs of water from the dam in a phased manner. The district administration sounded an alert for people living on the banks of the Muthirapuzha and Periyar rivers asking them to be on guard against the rising water levels.