Incessant rains in Kerala claim 5 lives; shutters of multiple dams opened

Thiruvananthapuram/Kochi: Widespread damage occurred due to heavy rains in Kerala. Three people lost their lives in the rains on Tuesday. A woman and her son died after the wall of their house fell at Kottekkad in Palakkad. 

The deceased were identified as Sulochana (53) and her son Ranjith (32) of Kodakunnu region. The incident came to light on Tuesday morning when the locals saw the destroyed wall. It is believed that the wall collapsed on Monday night due to heavy rain.

In another tragic incident, an elderly woman died after falling into an open well in Kannur. The victim has been identified as Kunhamina (51) of Koleri. 

According to the latest reports, the rains have claimed two more lives. A power line that snapped and fell into the water electrocuted a person in Wayanad. Additionally, two people were killed in Kannur after falling into a waterlogged area.

The shutters of the Peringalkuth dam in Thrissur district were opened after the water flow became strong in the heavy rains. The District Disaster Management Authority has informed that people living on both sides of the Chalakudy River should be cautious in case the dam is open. The water level in Chalakudy river has risen on Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, Thiruvananthapuram District Collector informed that the shutters of Peppara Dam will be raised on Tuesday morning and the shutters of Aruvikara Dam will be raised from 60 cm to 90 cm. It has been announced that the shutters of Peppara Dam will be opened at nine in the morning. The collector also warned the people living near both the dams to be cautious.

As Periyar started overflowing in the torrential rains, the Aluva Shiva temple got submerged. A huge tree on the Ilankavu Devi Temple premises at Kummanam in Kottayam fell down in the strong winds, causing widespread damage in the area. 

As the water level continued to rise in Periyar, all the shutters of Bhuthankett Dam were opened on Monday evening. All 15 shutters were raised on Monday afternoon when the water flow in the catchment area of ​​the dam became strong. The four shutters at its centre are raised by 5 meters each and the other shutters by 50 cm each.