Kerala on orange alert as Malappuram flash flood toll reaches five
IMD issues orange alert for six Kerala districts; five tourists killed in a Nilambur flash flood, with one woman still missing.
Six districts in Kerala were placed under an orange alert for heavy rain on Monday, with the India Meteorological Department warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall and thunderstorms across these areas. Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam and Thrissur are covered by the alert, while the state's remaining eight districts are on yellow alert.
According to the weather office, areas under the orange alert could receive between 115.6 mm and 204.4 mm of rain over a 24-hour period. Thunderstorms with surface winds reaching up to 40 kmph are likely at isolated locations. Light rain has been forecast for parts of Kollam, Palakkad and Kannur.
The warning follows a flash flood on Sunday evening that swept through the Kottapuzha River near the TK Colony eco-tourism centre in Nilambur, Malappuram district. Six people were carried away when the river rose abruptly after heavy rain in the forested catchment upstream, officials said.
Two bodies were recovered on Sunday night. Search teams resumed operations on Monday morning and found three more, taking the death toll to five. All five were tourists, hailing from Tirur, Edarikode, Karuvarakundu, Wandoor and Chettiyarammal. Rescue workers are still looking for a local woman who was washing clothes on the riverbank when the current pulled her in.
Revenue Minister A P Anilkumar, who is stationed at the site, said falling water levels had allowed rescuers to step up their efforts. "And we expect to trace all the missing persons soon," he told reporters.
The National Disaster Response Force, Fire and Rescue Services personnel and local residents are conducting the search jointly. Operations were halted late on Sunday owing to strong currents and poor visibility.
Chief Minister V D Satheesan has instructed authorities to review the state's rain situation every hour in the wake of the flood. The Chief Minister's Office said Disaster Management Commissioner Vigneswari IAS met the collectors of Idukki and Kottayam to take stock, and SMS alerts were sent in both districts. Collectors have been asked to take necessary steps, including evacuations where needed.
The state government has also ordered the immediate deployment of a special Disaster Management Force team to the Nilambur-Amarambalam area.