Kerala rains: Eight killed, six fishermen missing as landslips and floods hit State

Eight people died in rain-related incidents in Kerala as intense rainfall from Friday night continued into Saturday, triggering landslips, flash floods, and widespread damage across the State. The deaths were reported in Malappuram, Idukki, Kottayam, and Wayanad districts. The latest spell of rain comes about a month after a deadly debris slip at a tunnel construction site in Wayanad claimed eight lives.

Among the deceased were three children. Three-year-old Abdul Muhaini and four-year-old Adam Ayman drowned after falling into a swollen stream in Malappuram. Eleven-year-old Milan K. Shinu of Vakathanam died after falling into a waterlogged pit dug for a Jal Jeevan Mission project. Four people died in landslips: 69-year-old Sumathi in Kudayathoor panchayat near Thodupuzha, 72-year-old Prabhakaran Nair in Kolahalamedu near Vagamon, and 28-year-old Josephin Johny and his 48-year-old mother Regina Johny in Kottayam’s Kaippally. One death in Wayanad was caused by electrocution.

Six fishermen — four from Thiruvananthapuram and two from Kollam — were reported missing in the Arabian Sea. Two residents of Kannur also went missing after falling into a river. Search operations were underway on Saturday evening.

The State government opened 65 relief camps, sheltering 1,465 people. According to the Chief Minister’s Office, 17 houses were completely destroyed and 127 partially damaged. The government said it was ready to open more camps if required.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for nine districts on Saturday, indicating extremely heavy rainfall, and an orange alert for 12 districts on Sunday, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall. The sudden intensity of the rain caught weather agencies and disaster management authorities off guard, leading to major landslips in Idukki and Kottayam districts.

Rainfall data from the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) showed Vadasserikkara in Pathanamthitta recorded 361 mm of rain by 8.30 a.m. on Saturday. Anakkampoyil in Kozhikode received 340 mm over the previous 35 hours, while Meppadi in Wayanad recorded 177 mm. The shutters of several dams were raised on Saturday, leading to a rise in water levels in rivers, particularly in Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts.

In Ranni, Pathanamthitta, residential areas and parts of the town were submerged after the Pamba River overflowed. Flash floods also affected parts of Kottayam, Idukki, and northern Kerala.

Chief Minister V.D. Satheeshan convened an emergency review meeting and directed ministers in charge of affected districts to remain there and coordinate relief operations. He urged the public to follow official advisories and assured them that the government was prepared to handle any emergency. Financial assistance would be provided to families of the deceased and to people who lost homes, farms, or livelihoods, while the injured would receive adequate treatment, he said.

Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force, fire and rescue services, police, and local residents carried out rescue operations, successfully rescuing two people from the debris in Idukki. Kerala State Disaster Management Authority member secretary Sekhar Lukose Kuriakose said the situation was under control.