PALAKKAD/THRISSUR/IDUKKI: A woman and her granddaughter died after their house collapsed in a landslide at Malakkappara in Thrissur district on Tuesday, as heavy rains lashed most districts in the state, causing flooding and widespread damage.
The deceased are Rajeswari, 56, and Jnanapriya, 15. They were found hugging each other amid the debris of the collapsed house. Rajeswari’s daughter Suguna was working in Ernakulam while her granddaughter was staying with her.
Meanwhile, the shutters of Peechi dam in Thrissur were raised by 180cm on Tuesday as the inflow of water from the catchment areas continued. Pathazhakundu, Asurankundu, Vazhani, Poomala, and Poringalkuthu dams continue to release water into the district’s waterbodies.
The Thrissur collector has issued an order prohibiting night travel through hill ranges, especially on the Malakkappara route. In Wadakkanchery, a 25-member National Disaster Relief Force led rescue operations as most of the roads and houses were flooded by noon. Residents in Chelakkara region were also evacuated as water entered houses by Tuesday afternoon. Palakkad received heavy rainfall which led to the closure of major roads and bridges.
The rain resulted in multiple landslides in hill stations and catchment areas, frequent power failures, and cancellation of public transport. Several houses were completely damaged, religious places were submerged, and major roads and towns inundated. The Pattambi Bridge, connecting Palakkad and Thrissur districts, was closed by 11.30am.
The collector ordered compulsory closure of all tourism centres until further notice. The spillways of Pothundi dam will be raised to a limited height at 2pm. The sluice valve at Siruvani River was raised by 100cm, and all mining and quarry works have been prohibited until further notice.
The heavy rain pounding Idukki since Monday evening has triggered a series of landslides at various locations across the district. Among the affected localities, Devikulam taluk was the worst hit as flooding of rivers due to the opening of dam shutters resulted in low-lying areas getting inundated.
Landslides were reported at Pothamedu and Nagarmudi division of Sevanmalai estate, where several hundred tea plants were damaged. Heavy rain set off a mudslide on the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway at Lockhart Gap and at the block panchayat office area in Devikulam. Traffic was blocked on the Munnar-Udumalpet interstate highway after a mudslide at the Kannimala Estate UP School on Tuesday.
