Thiruvananthapuram: Five people died and another remained unaccounted for after a sudden surge in the Kottapuzha River swept away nine people in Malappuram district’s Nilambur on Sunday. Three people were pulled to safety.
Officials said the river rose sharply after heavy rain in the forested areas upstream, although the weather at the accident site was clear. Fire and Rescue personnel, police officers and local residents joined the search, which was made difficult by strong currents and poor visibility.
The bodies were recovered from a stretch between Chokkad and Amarambalam panchayats. The deceased were identified as Muhammedkutty, 65, Anas, 27, Rahim, Sajaad and Rafeeque. Sajitha, a resident of TK Colony, was still missing, as reported by South First.
Nilambur fire and rescue officer Baburajan said the number of missing people had not yet been conclusively established because several visitors were at the spot when the flood struck.
Station officer Nishant told South First that the operation would be halted overnight because of persistent rain and resume at 5.30 am on September 21.
“This place attracts many local tourists, and since it was Sunday, there were many people here. The river originates in Tamil Nadu, so flash floods there can also cause a sudden rise in water levels here,” he said.
Four Deaths Elsewhere
Four more people died in separate rain-related incidents in Kottayam and Idukki.
At Teekoy in Kottayam, Sangeetha Arullal, a native of Tamil Nadu’s Theni, was killed when a landslide struck while she was travelling on a two-wheeler. In Poonjar, 80-year-old Joseph died after debris buried his house. His two daughters were rescued.
Two members of a family died in a mudslide at Vattavada in Idukki, while another person suffered injuries. A separate landslide near Karikad Top damaged two cars on the Erattupetta-Vagamon road. Their occupants were unharmed, but traffic was affected for hours.
Authorities urged people to avoid non-essential travel through hilly areas. Rising water in the Meenachil River could inundate low-lying parts of Teekoy, Erattupetta and Pala.
Hourly Monitoring Ordered
Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan ordered hourly assessments of the weather situation. Disaster Management Commissioner Vigneswari IAS held a review with the Idukki and Kottayam district collectors, who were asked to monitor conditions and evacuate vulnerable residents if necessary. A special NDRF team has been sent to Nilambur.
Alerts In Six districts
The KSDMA placed Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam and Thrissur under an orange alert until 10 am. The IMD issued a yellow alert for the same districts, predicting 7–11 cm of rain in 24 hours. Rain or thundershowers are expected in Kerala until September 26.
