Foreign tourists rescued in Kerala after riverside resort is flooded

With heavy rains resulting in rise in river water level, a resort in Kodanad in Ernakulam district was flooded on Tuesday morning, trapping tourists who were staying there. The incident happened at around 5.30 in the morning. Foreign tourists and staff staying in the Elephant Pass resort near the Elephant Kraal in Kodanad, a popular tourist destination, were rescued after the incident.

Two foreigners, a family from Kochi  and resort staff were trapped in the resort after it was flooded. Fire force, police and revenue department officials were involved in the rescue. The rescued tourists were shifted to a nearby resort. Many tourists in Idukki, Wayanad and Alappuzha districts have moved out following reports of heavy rains, flash floods and landslides.

Restrictions have been placed on entry of tourists to high ranges of Idukki and the Athirapally waterfalls in Thrissur district. Tourist movement has also been restricted to Ponmudi, a hill station in Idukki, which witnessed heavy rainfall. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) also issued a Red alert in 10 districts for August 3.

The red alert has been issued in all the districts of the state barring Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Kasaragod, where Orange alerts have been issued for August 2 and 3, an IMD district rainfall forecast for Kerala said at 10 AM on Tuesday.

The department also warned of widespread and isolated heavy and very heavy rainfall in the state till August 5. As the heavy rains continued, the authorities have set up relief camps in various districts and tourist spots in high range areas of Idukki have been shut.

A red alert indicates heavy to extremely heavy rains of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while orange alert means very heavy rains from 6 cm to 20 cm of rain. A yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 and 11 cm.

Payyavoor region of Kannur district experienced several landslides on Tuesday morning and Monday night. On Monday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said that till August 1 six people died in rain-related incidents and one was missing.

Meanwhile, the Central Water Commission has issued flood warnings in five rivers across the state. CWC warned of flooding in Pullakkayar in Kottayam, Maadaman, Kallooppara in Pathanamthitta, Vellaikadavu and Aruvippuram in Thiruvananthapuram.