THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Unrelenting downpours have wreaked havoc across Keralam over the past 24 hours, triggering severe flash floods and landslides that have claimed nine lives and left several people missing, authorities reported on Monday.
The worst-hit region has been Malappuram, which recorded five casualties, while Kottayam and Idukki districts reported two deaths each. Intensive rescue operations are currently underway in Malappuram, where multiple individuals went missing following sudden flash floods and landslides.
With the weather situation turning increasingly grim, top state leadership has stepped in. Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has directed officials to evaluate ground conditions on an hourly basis and ensure immediate assistance reaches affected families.
Responding to the crisis, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for six districts—Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram, and Palakkad—warning of strong winds reaching speeds up to 40 kilometers per hour. Authorities have strongly urged residents to exercise extreme caution, particularly in vulnerable hilly regions.
The situation escalated dramatically in Malappuram when five people were swept away by a sudden flash flood at TK Colony in Amarambalam, Nilambur. Rescue teams, including the Fire and Rescue Services, managed to recover two bodies from the Pottikkallu Muttikkundu and Antonykkad Ayanikkundu regions. Both victims bore severe injuries after being violently dragged against rocks. While darkness forced a brief halt to search operations overnight, teams resumed full-scale work early Monday morning. In a separate incident, four individuals stranded in a swollen river near Chekkad were safely rescued by locals after two others managed to swim ashore.
To tackle the emergency, State Disaster Management Authority Commissioner Vigneshwari convened an immediate high-level meeting with District Collectors from Idukki and Kottayam. Automated weather-related SMS alerts have been dispatched to residents in these zones, and local collectors have been granted full authority to initiate mandatory evacuations if conditions worsen.
The heavy unseasonal precipitation has caused extensive damage statewide. Coastal residents have been placed on high alert due to rising water levels, and the public has been strictly advised to avoid traveling through hilly terrains at night. District-level control rooms and special monitoring cells have been activated across all taluks to coordinate emergency responses.
Joint relief operations involving the police, fire services, and revenue departments are proceeding on a war footing. Local authorities have been instructed to establish relief camps to house displaced families from low-lying areas. With the IMD predicting persistent rainfall over the coming days, authorities have enforced a total ban on fishermen venturing into the sea. Furthermore, revenue officials are actively relocating residents from high-risk landslide zones to secure locations, while the government coordinates with central agencies to deploy additional NDRF teams if necessary. The Kerala State Electricity Board and irrigation departments are also continuously monitoring dam water levels amid heavy catchment area rainfall.
