Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], September 21 (ANI): In view of the flood-like situation in Keralam, Chief Minister VD Satheesan has directed that the situation be assessed on an hourly basis. Following the directive, Disaster Management Authority Commissioner Vigneswari IAS convened a meeting with the District Collectors of Idukki and Kottayam to review the situation, according to the CMO.
Additionally, SMS alerts regarding the weather conditions have been issued in Idukki and Kottayam districts. The District Collectors have been instructed to assess the situation and take necessary measures, including evacuation wherever required.
According to the CMO's statement on Sunday, there is information that five people have been swept away in the TK Colony area of Amarambalam in Nilambur. The Chief Minister has issued an urgent directive to deploy a special team of the Disaster Management Force in the area.
Amid the heavy rain, two people died, and another was critically injured after a landslide struck Kottakamboor in Vattavada, Idukki, on Sunday evening.
The incident occurred around 5 pm near a house along the Kadavari route while the victims were cleaning garlic.
The deceased have been identified as Balakrishnan and Chinnu, both natives of Kottakamboor. Though, Balakrishnan's wife survived the incident with injuries. Meanwhile, the other person sustained critical injuries and was rushed to Adimali Taluk Hospital by ambulance.
Speaking to ANI, Devikulam MLA F Raja said, “This afternoon in Vattavada, workers were engaged in farming when heavy rain began to fall. Seeking shelter, they moved into a nearby shed. Moments later, a landslide occurred from behind the shed, burying the structure under mud and debris.”
“There were three people inside at the time; two of them were trapped beneath the soil, while one person was rescued and has since been admitted to the hospital. The bodies of the two deceased individuals have been brought to Munnar and will be transferred to the Adimali Taluk Hospital following the inquest procedures. The post-mortem and related formalities will be conducted tomorrow,” he further added.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the flash flood in the Chokkad River has risen to three, with the bodies of one woman and two men who went missing in the incident recovered, officials said on Sunday. The latest body, that of a man, was recovered near Antonikkad. (ANI)
Keralam: CM Satheesan orders hourly assessments of floods, landslide casualties amid heavy rains
