Widespread rains cause damage to property in Kerala; Yellow alert in seven districts

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ongoing spell of heavy rains in Kerala has hit normal life, with scores of houses being damaged, roads being submerged, trees uprooted, flood water entering houses and trains running late as a result of the steady downpour that continued to lash the state on Saturday.

Flood water entered houses, schools and shops located in low-lying areas of Kuttanad in coastal Alapuzha district.

Potholes appeared on roads, posing a threat to vehicle users in many places there.

At Kaikulangara in Kollam district, a family of four had a narrow escape as the tiled roof of their house collapsed due to heavy showers.

Residents of the house escaped with minor injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital, police said.

Another house in Kannettumukku here was completely damaged following downpour in the small hours today, they said.

However, the elderly woman living in it said she had a miraculous escape as she ran out to the courtyard hearing a sound in the night.

Several roads were battered and houses damaged in the coastal village of Pozhiyur, which witnessed intense sea incursion on Friday evening.

Relief camps were set up in the area and fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea due to the continuing inclement weather.

Intense water-logging and uprooting of trees disrupted normal life in towns and villages alike in several parts of the southern state.

Several trains, heading to the state capital were reportedly running late due to bad weather.

According to officials, the agricultural sector in Thiruvananthapuram district incurred loss to the tune of Rs 1.82 crore owing to heavy rains in the last three days.

Agriculture produces in 66.89 hectares of land have been destroyed in Thiruvananthapuram and as many as 720 farmers suffered losses between May 22 to 24 here, they said.

Four houses have been completely destroyed and 41 were partially damaged due to torrential downpour in the district where several families were shifted to relief camps in the past few days.

Meanwhile, the IMD sounded a yellow alert in seven districts of the state, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Idukki, Kottayam and Ernakulam.

A yellow alert indicates heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm.

The weather department predicted isolated heavy rain in these districts in the coming hours.

As per the latest update of the Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), high waves ranging from 0.5 to 3.1 metres and sea incursions are predicted along the coast of Kerala from southern Vizhinjam to northern Kasaragod until Saturday night.

In view of the warning, authorities have advised people not to venture into the sea and stay away from beaches.

Those who live on sea shore were asked to move to safer places if necessary as the chances of sea incursion were higher.

Fishermen were asked to keep their fishing vessels safe in respective harbours, a statement from the Kerala Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) said.