Thiruvananthapuram: Two persons, including the chief priest of Plavirathala Bhagavathy Temple, Oruttambalam, were washed away by waves while participating in the `arat' of Sree Krishna, Siva, Nagar temple, Muloor, near Vizhinjam, around 5.45 p.m. on Friday.

According to the police, the chief priest, Rajesh, 23, son of Subramaniam Potti, and resident of Makiyram, Muloor, along with his assistant, Vidyadharan, 44, son of Chelappan, resident of Padinjattuveedu, Muloor, were engulfed by huge waves that lashed the coast while they were on the beach.

The personnel of the Marine Enforcement, Kerala Fire and Rescue Services, lifeguards and the local people immediately began search operations. However, the search operations were called off owing to bad light and inclement weather, the police said.

Normality returns

Large parts of the district were limping back to normality on Thursday after several days of squally weather that left a trail of destruction in its wake. Though the rain eased off, the sea continued to be rough. Families in the coastal areas were still living in fear of losing their houses to the waves.

District Collector N. Ayyappan said six houses were destroyed and 127 damaged on Thursday. The loss has been put at Rs.5.12 lakhs. As many as 99 houses were damaged in Nedumangad taluk, 15 in Neyyattinkara, nine in Chirayinkeezh and four in Thiruvananthapuram.

Revenue officials on Thursday visited the Pallithura coast, near Thumba, where dozens of huts were waterlogged by the surging seawater. The district administration on Thursday released an assistance of Rs.1,000 to the family of a 20-year-old youth who was injured when stacking sandbags near the sea wall at Beemapally on Wednesday.

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