Kerala flash flood: Five bodies recovered from Kottappuzha; search on for missing woman
Five bodies have been recovered from the Kottappuzha river at T.K. Colony near Pookkottumpadam in Nilambur, Malappuram district, Kerala, after a flash flood swept away a group of visitors on Sunday evening. Rescue teams are continuing the search for Sajitha, a resident of T.K. Colony, who remains missing.
Three bodies were retrieved on Sunday night and two more on Monday morning, after personnel from the Fire and Rescue Services and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) resumed operations at first light. Police and local residents are also searching different stretches of the river.
The deceased have been identified as Parannaparamban Mohammed Kutty, 65, of Tirur; Mangadan Anas, 27, of Kottakkal; Srambikkal Raheem, 35, of Karuvarakundu; Kuppanath Sajjad, 23, of Kottakunnu, Wandoor; and Kuruppath Rafeek, 41, of Chettiyarammal, Wandoor.
Sajitha was swept away while washing clothes in the stream near the tourist spot at T.K. Nagar, officials said.
What happened
The Kottappuzha can look harmless when the water is low. Large granite boulders lie exposed along the riverbed, and visitors often climb onto them, sit by the water and spend time there. On Sunday, a holiday, a large number of people had gathered at the spot. Around 5 p.m., the water rose suddenly. Several visitors were standing on rocks in the middle of the river. Some were swept away within seconds.
Why the river rose so fast
The Kottappuzha flows through an area fed by streams from the forest. Rain several kilometres upstream can send a sudden surge of water downstream even when there is little or no rain at the spot itself. There is often little warning before the dry riverbed and the exposed rocks are covered by a fast-moving current.
“You will never know when water will start gushing down the stream when it rains in the forest. You will have no clue at all, as it happened on Sunday evening,” said Mubarak, a local resident.
Forest Department officials and local residents noticed the water rising and alerted people at the spot. They also joined the rescue efforts, helping to prevent further casualties.
Officials visit the site
Revenue Minister A.P. Anil Kumar, who represents the Wandoor constituency, reached the spot on Sunday night and supervised the rescue operations. Public Works Minister P.K. Basheer visited the Government Taluk Hospital in Nilambur, where the bodies have been kept, and met the bereaved families before visiting the accident site. Aryadan Shoukath, MLA, is at the site coordinating the search.
Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan is scheduled to visit T.K. Colony at Pookkottumpadam on Monday afternoon to pay his respects to the victims.
Calls for stricter regulation
The incident has renewed concerns over visitors entering riverbeds and climbing onto rocks during the rainy season. Local residents have called for stricter measures to regulate access to the area, which is known for flash floods.
Residents of hill-fed river basins are advised to keep away from exposed rocks and the dry beds of streams during the monsoon and in the days around heavy rain. Water levels in such rivers can change within minutes, and the absence of rain at the spot itself is not an indication of safety. Anyone who notices a sudden change in the colour, sound or speed of a stream should move to higher ground immediately and alert others.
