Kerala rain triggers landslides, floods and deaths

Torrential rain battered Kerala on Saturday, killing at least four people in landslides and flooding homes, roads and commercial centres as authorities placed nine districts under the highest weather warning.

The most severe damage was reported from Idukki, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta, where saturated hillsides collapsed, rivers crossed warning levels and rescue teams moved families from vulnerable areas. The state government directed district administrations to prepare for emergencies and assigned ministers to coordinate relief operations in badly affected areas.

Sumathi, a resident of Kudayathoor near Thodupuzha, was killed when a landslide struck her house at Adurmala around 2 am. Her husband Ravi and son Ratheesh were pulled from the debris with injuries. The building was destroyed, and rescuers recovered Sumathi’s body after a search lasting several hours.

Another landslide at Kolahalamedu in Vagamon killed 72-year-old Prabhakaran Nair. A mass of earth crashed through a window and buried the room where he was sleeping. Fire and Rescue Services personnel, police and residents used an earthmover to clear the wreckage before recovering his body.

Joseph Johnny and his mother Regina Johnny were also killed after a landslide buried a house near Poonjar in Kottayam district. Search and rescue teams were deployed to the area as heavy rain continued to restrict access through hilly roads.

The weather department issued red warnings for Thrissur, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod, where isolated rainfall exceeding 20 centimetres within 24 hours was considered possible. Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki were also placed under red warnings for rainfall ranging between 12 and 20 centimetres.

Orange warnings covering Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Palakkad indicated the likelihood of very heavy rainfall. The warnings covered nearly the entire state and reflected the possibility of flash floods, landslides, uprooted trees, power disruption and damage to weak structures.

An offshore trough extending from south Gujarat to Kerala, combined with strong lower-level westerly winds, intensified the rainfall. Rain or thundershowers were forecast across most parts of Kerala through the weekend, although the heaviest phase was expected on Saturday.

Flooding spread across central districts as rivers and streams overflowed. Erattupetta was inundated after the Meenachil River breached its banks, while the Mundakkayam causeway went under water. Sections of the Pala-Poonjar road became impassable, affecting movement between several towns and villages.

Ranni in Pathanamthitta faced extensive flooding, with water entering the Ittiyappara bus stand, shops and houses. Landslides were reported from surrounding highland areas, while the Pamba and other rivers rose rapidly following overnight rainfall.

Thodupuzha town and nearby settlements experienced waterlogging after streams spilled into residential colonies. The Thodupuzha River crossed the danger mark, while the Muvattupuzha River moved above its warning level. Residents along riverbanks and in low-lying areas were told to prepare for evacuation.

Authorities increased controlled releases from the Malankara Dam as inflows surged. Four shutters that had been opened by 1.5 metres were scheduled to be raised in stages to 2.5 metres. Officials warned that the release could further increase levels in the Thodupuzha and Muvattupuzha rivers.

Road travel was disrupted across Idukki after landslips blocked the Moolamattom-Vagamon, Vagamon-Ettumanoor, Vagamon-Upputhara and Kattappana-Vazhavara routes. Debris also halted traffic near Machiplavu on the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway, where a car and a heavy vehicle were caught in a landslide.