The southwest monsoon displayed its fury in the early hours of Thursday as it claimed the lives of six people, including three children, and left a trail of destruction in the hilly region of Kattippara at Thamarassery in the district.
In the downpour which triggered landslips at around 5 a.m., five houses were washed away at Karinchola valley. Search operations led by the National Disaster Response Force summoned from Thrissur are going on in full swing to trace 10 persons reportedly missing after landslips at two places.
The bodies of V. Abdurehiman, 60; Mohammed Jasim, son of K. Jaffer, 5; Dilna Sherin, 9 and Mohammed Shahabaz,3, children of Abdul Salim; were recovered by noon and K. Hassan, 65 and his daughter Jannath, 17, by evening.
Four families were victims of the landslip in the region. Their houses were submerged under the muddy waters. One of the families residing in the vicinity escaped the fury of nature as they shifted to a safer place before the calamity occurred.
Due to the rain, landslips were triggered at many places, including Kakkayam, Pulluranpara, Kattippara, Karinchola and Chamal areas of the rural belt. The torrential rain waterlogged roads and inundated several places. Heavy rainfall has battered the Thiruvambady region and a few areas have been isolated.
Over 250 houses have been partially damaged and another 20 have been destroyed in the incessant rain. The damage to crops due to the havoc is yet to be estimated. The disaster management authority has swung into action to rescue stranded families and evacuate them to relief camps that were opened on Tuesday.
Following the unabated rainfall, water level in Chaliyar, Iruvanjipuzha and Punoor rivers are continuing to rise. The Water Resources Department said that shutters of Kakkayam and Peruvannamuzhi dams were opened following the heavy inflow and a warning has been issued to the people residing near the area.
Traffic was blocked on Kozhikode- Mysuru- Kollegal Highway after a tree uprooted and fell on the Thamarassery ghat road. Vehicles have been diverted via the alternative Kuttiyadi road to reach Kozhikode. Similarly, traffic was disrupted after flooding at Nellamkandi near Koduvally.