As heavy rains continue to lash several parts of Kerala, two children, who were siblings, lost their lives after their house near Karipur in Kozhikode district collapsed early on Tuesday, October 12. The deceased were a six-month-old infant and her eight-year-old sister. The house which collapsed, in Mathamkulam near Mundottupadam in the district, belonged to the grandfather of the children. Residents told PTI that a nearby under construction house collapsed onto the victims' residence due to the rain at around 4.30 am, leading to the tragedy. Though the children were rushed to the Kozhikode medical college hospital, they succumbed.
The state has been witnessing heavy downpour for the past few days. On Tuesday, northern districts saw heavy rainfall while the rainfall has been moderate in the southern districts. The weather department had on Monday issued a heavy rainfall alert for Tuesday for several parts of the state. In Kozhikode, a lorry carrying a proclaimer fell on a house near Olavanna, but no casualty was reported.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the sudden heavy rains are due to the cyclonic circulations in Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. "Cyclonic circulations have formed in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, there is its effect. Another is the presence of an eastwestern trough line that is connecting both the cyclonic circulation. This is over the central to northern region of Kerala, and that also accounts for the heavy rains," K Santhosh, Director of the Meteorological Centre in Thiruvananthapuram of the IMD, told TNM.
The IMD had said that a cyclonic circulation was present over the east-central Arabian Sea, which is likely to persist during the next three days. As a result, isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall would be very likely in Kerala during October 11 to October 15, the department said.
The district administration in Idukki has banned travel at night in the high-range district from 7 pm to 6 am till October 14, given the heavy rains and possibility of landslides. Officials who are engaged in mitigating COVID-19 and those who work for disaster management work are exempted from the travel ban.
The IMD has declared orange and yellow alerts for several districts until Saturday, October 16. The orange alert is meant to notify officials to be prepared for any rain-related incidents, while the yellow warning is meant to alert the public as well. Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod have been placed under orange alert on October 12. In these districts, heavy rainfall is predicted from 115.6 mm to 204.4 mm in 24 hours. While orange alert is declared for Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod on October 13, it will be in place in Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad on 14. The alert will be in place in Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad on 15.
In other districts with the yellow alert in place, heavy rainfall from 64.5 mm to 115.5 mm has been predicted. The alert is for Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Kottayam on Tuesday. Alappuzha and Kottayam districts will be under yellow alert on Tuesday as well. On October 13, the yellow alert will be in place in Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kannur and Kasaragod. The alert has been declared in Alappuzha, Kollam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Idukki, Kannur and Kasaragod for October 15 as well. The alert has also been issued for Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod for October 16.
With PTI inputs