Kerala: Heavy rains lash state's northern districts; red alert issued for Idukki, Wayanad

Heavy damages have been reported from the districts like Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod following heavy rain and strong winds in Kerala
 

 Heavy rains lashed north Kerala on Thursday (August 6) and a red alert was issued for Idukki and Wayanad districts with Nilambur town getting briefly flooded after river Chaliyar overflowed.

The India Meteorological Department(IMD) said a red alert has been issued for Malappuram district for August 7 and an orange alert in nine districts of Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod till August 9.

The Malappuram district administration has opened nine camps in the district while seven are in Nilambur alone.

“We have opened nine camps in Malappuram with seven of them in Nilambur itself. A total of 410 people are in the seven camps with adherence to COVID-19 protocol,” a district disaster management authority official told PTI.

Nilambur town was flooded for a few hours earlier in the day but the water subsided, police said, adding that those from the low-lying areas were shifted to the camps.

At least 425 people are in various camps in Malappuram.

Meanwhile, Wayanad district administration opened 12 camps and shifted at least 560 people.

“People from containment zones are kept separately,” Wayanad district collector Dr Adeela Abdulla told the media.

Mananthavady in Wayanad received 15 cm of rain in the last 24 hours followed by Munnar in Idukki with 12 cm and Myladumpara in Idukki 11 cm.

Extensive damages have been reported from Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod districts following heavy rain and strong winds.

In the four-month-long south-west monsoon season, which began in the first week of June, Kerala reported a total of 31 deaths till Wednesday due to drowning, landslides and falling of trees.