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Several districts in central and southern Kerala have been experiencing extremely heavy rainfall Saturday owing to the formation of a low-pressure area in the Arabian Sea, triggering floods and waterlogging in several places, inundating roads and forcing authorities to open sluice gates of dams to release excess water.
The Kerala government has sought the assistance of the Indian Air Force for rescue operations in the state, where landslides have occurred following heavy rains. The Chief Minister’s Office has informed that help from the Air Force has been sought for rescue in Koottikal at Kottayam district where landslides have been reported isolating a few families, news agency PTI reported.
Minister for Cooperation and Registration V N Vasavan said that at least three houses have been washed away in Kottayam district and 10 people feared missing.
“At least four landslips have been reported from various parts of Kottayam district. We have sought the assistance of the Airforce to rescue people who are stranded in Koottikal area. We have received information about some people missing and over 60 waiting to be rescued as water entered their homes,” the Minister said.
Kottayam and Pathanamthitta are the most affected districts in the state as of now due to heavy rains since Friday night.
Visuals have emerged on social media from various parts of Kottayam district, including a KSRTC bus stuck in flood water and locals rescuing passengers from it.
People being evacuated from a KSRTC bus submerged in flood waters in Poonjar of Kottayam district in Kerala. No casualties were reported in the incident.https://t.co/HwiiNq4qLK pic.twitter.com/NgqHNp2STw
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has sounded a red alert, indicating extremely heavy rainfall, in Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur districts. The heavy rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning, is expected to continue through Saturday night. Meanwhile, an orange alert (isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall) has been declared in seven other districts and a yellow alert (isolated heavy rainfall) in Kannur and Wayanad districts.
Revenue Minister K Rajan, who also oversees the Disaster Management Department, convened a meeting of all district collectors to oversee preparedness. People living in low-lying reaches of swelling rivers and landslide-prone zones in hilly areas will be shifted to relief camps. He said six teams of the NDRF have been deployed across Kerala for rescue and relief operations. With water levels rising rapidly in the Kakki dam, the minister said Sabarimala pilgrims must desist from taking bath in the Pampa river.
The district collector of Thrissur has announced that sluice gates of the Peringalkuthu dam will be opened to release excess water into the Chalakudy river. Sluice gates of the Neyyar dam in Thiruvananthapuram have been opened by 240 cm, releasing water into the Neyyar river. Three shutters of the Parappar dam in Thenmala have been opened by 50 cm.
Night transport in Idukki district will be suspended till October 21, while boating and kayaking have been suspended in tourist areas. In Pathanamthitta district, road transport has been suspended on the Mundakkayam-Erumeli road and several houses in the region are under water, a local TV channel reported. Movement on the Anchal-Ayoor road has been suspended as well.
At the taluk hospital in Ranni, water entered the casualty ward, after which patients as well as equipment were shifted to another ward.
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