Heavy rain batters Kottayam high ranges, rivers swell and flood fears return
Torrential rain across Kottayam's high ranges pushed up river levels, damaged homes and disrupted traffic, with two deaths reported in separate incidents.
Torrential rain across the high ranges of Kottayam through Sunday night pushed up water levels in the district's major rivers, reviving concerns about flooding.
The district recorded an estimated 471.2 mm of rainfall until Monday morning. Erattupetta received 178 mm, while Theekoy recorded 185 mm.
The Meenachil River rose by nearly two feet overnight. The Muvattupuzha and Manimala rivers also continued to swell as the rain persisted. Officials have cautioned that flash floods are possible in the high ranges.
In Theekoy, a landslide near Mangalagiri on Sunday night left one house partially damaged and destroyed another. Two people, including a woman tourist from Tamil Nadu, were killed in separate rain-related incidents.
A landslip at Karikad Top on the Erattupetta-Vagamon road on Sunday evening dumped soil onto two cars. No one was injured, but traffic was disrupted.
On the Pala-Erattupetta road, water from the Meenachil River spilled onto the carriageway overnight, halting movement. Traffic resumed by Monday morning after the water receded.