Torrential rain claims three lives in Wayanad, triggers landslips

Defence Security Corps team, NDRF rushing to Wayanad

Torrential rain, accompanied by strong winds, claimed three lives in Wayanad district on Thursday.

Two persons were killed in a landslip at Kuttamangalam near Muttil and one woman at Panamaram died after she collapsed while being shifted to a relief camp.

Preetha, 26, and her husband Mahesh, 32, of Pazhassi tribal hamlet at Kuttamangalam near Muttil in the district were killed in the landslip.

The couple were inside of the house when the incident occurred around 3 p.m. Preetha’s parents escaped narrowly from the landslip.

Muthu, 24, wife of Babu of Kokkathodu tribal hamlet died after she collapsed at Mathoth Poyil near Panamaram on Thursday morning while she was being shifted to a nearby relief camp.

Incidences of landslips and mudslides were reported from various parts of the district including Korome, Chalil Meenmutty in Mananthavadi taluk, Chooralmala, Puthumala, Kurumbalakotta, Muttil,and Mundakkai area in Vythiri and Arattupara in Sulthan Bathery taluks .

The hill district was literally isolated in the morning from the rest of the State after major highways were inundated.

The Kozhikode-Kollegal National Highway 766 was inundated at Ponkuzhi. Traffic was disrupted on the Periya ghat section on the Mananthavadi-Kannur State Highway and Kuttiadi ghat road on the Mananthavadi-Kuttiadi State Highway.

Traffic on the highways was yet to be restored in the evening, according to reports reach here.

District Collector A.R. Ajayakumar has declared a holiday on the consecutive third day on Friday for all educational institutions, including professional colleges, in the district.

Meanwhile Mr. Ajayakumar , who is also the chairman of the District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC), issued a total ban on granite quarrying and mechanical excavation of earth in the district.

He directed constitution of two rescue teams in each taluk to meet any emergency. Each team would consist of one official from KSEB, Revenue, police, Forest and local administrative bodies.

The teams would operate round-the-clock, Mr. Ajayakumar said.

The DDMC has issued a red alert in the district on Thursday and Friday after the heavy rainfall battered the district.

As many as 4,976 members of 1,347 families in various parts of the district were shifted to 73 relief camps in the nearby areas on Thursday, sources said. The district administration has requested the help of the National Disaster Response team for rescue operations.

“A team of Defence Security Corps team from Kannur another team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu will reach the district soon for flood relief and rescue operations and they will be deployed in various parts of the district”, Mr. Ajayakumar said.

Source: Read Full Article