Rain, strong winds batter Kothamangalam

KOCHI: Though the summer rain that lashed the state during the past one week has brought relief from the sweltering heat, the downpour accompanied by strong winds and lightning that lashed Kothamangalam taluk on Tuesday disrupted traffic and caused widespread damage to property.

Traffic on the busy Kochi-Dhanushkodi highway was disrupted for around three hours as huge trees uprooted by heavy winds fell on the road at Nellimattom near Kothamangalam in the district on Tuesday afternoon. 

Passengers of a private bus had a narrow escape as a huge tree fell across the road immediately after the bus crossed the stretch. Fire and Rescue personnel from Kothamangalam station and local residents removed the fallen trees and restored traffic by around 6 pm.

The thunderstorm, accompanied by gusty winds caused widespread damage in Kothamangalam taluk. Rubber trees, plantains, and tapioca crop were destroyed. According to agriculture assistant director V P Sindhu, the farmers in the taluk suffered a loss of more than `1 crore due to the untimely rain.