As heavy monsoon rains continued to lash many parts of Kerala, uprooting of trees, power disruptions and waterlogging of low-lying areas and places close to rivers were reported from across the state on Friday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red alerts for Idukki, Kannur, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kasaragod districts for today as relentless rains continue to wreak havoc across Kerala. A red alert by IMD indicates heavy to extremely heavy rain of over 20 cm in 24 hours.
The IMD also said that thunderstorms with heavy to moderate rainfall and winds of speeds reaching 60 kilometer per hour (kmph) were likely to occur in some places in all these districts.
As per reports, 27 fishermen from Vizhinjam have gone missing along with the seven boats they took out to sea. They were expected to return on Friday morning but have not yet come back. Meanwhile, fishermen who returned said that there were strong winds in the sea, raising concerns. The Indian Coast Guard has launched a search operation to locate the missing fishermen and their vessels.
An 85-year-old woman, who worked as an MGNREGA worker in Ernakulam district, died when an uprooted tree fell on top of her while returning home on Thursday evening. The Ernakulam district authorities also reported a rise in the water level of the Muvattupuzha River above the flood warning markers, leading to the opening of three shutters of the Malankara Dam by 20 centimetres (cm). Besides this woman, six more people, reportedly, lost their lives in rain-related incidents across Kerala in the past two days, while many more have gone missing.
Also read: Red alert in Kerala, K'taka, TN as monsoon gains strength
In many places in the hilly districts of Wayanad and Idukki, people were moved to relief camps from areas prone to landslides and flash floods. New camps were also set up in these districts, authorities said.
Schools holiday has been declared for educational institutions on Friday in several districts, including Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod.
On Thursday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said that the monsoon rains, which arrived early this year, have caused widespread damage in the state and urged those living in areas prone to flooding and landslides to move to safer locations or relief camps.
Meanwhile, torrential rains lashing coastal Karnataka have triggered landslides in Ullal taluk, claiming the life of a six-year-old girl and trapping several residents under debris, officials said on Friday.
In two separate incidents on Thursday, landslides struck residential areas. At Montepadavu, five people were reportedly trapped under a collapsed hillside, they said. Rescue teams have so far pulled out two individuals, and efforts are underway to locate the remaining victims.
According to officials, in another incident at Deralakatte in Mangaluru, a compound wall collapsed on a house on Friday morning, killing a six-year-old girl identified as Fatima Naeem Authorities have issued warnings for vulnerable zones in the region, as intermittent rains continue to batter the coastal belt.
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