The Hindu : Kerala News : Storm wreaks havoc in Kollam district

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Sunday, Jun 24, 2007
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Kerala

Storm wreaks havoc in Kollam district

Staff Reporter

Two persons killed in rain-related accidents; many houses damaged

The storm struck shortly after 7 a.m.
Over a hundred 11 kV lines damaged

KOLLAM: An early morning storm which hit Kollam on Saturday wreaked havoc in the district. It was accompanied by heavy rain.

Two rain-related deaths were reported from the district on Saturday. The deceased were identified as Victor Ajit, 37, and Gopalakrishnan, 52. Ajit was engaged in fishing off the Tangassery coast. He is said to have experienced suffocation, when caught in the storm, before falling in the sea. His body was later retrieved by other fishermen.

Gopalakrishnan was found dead in the TS Canal at Alumpeedika near Karunagapally. He was a toddy worker.

Trees uprooted

The storm struck Kollam shortly after 7 a.m. uprooting hundreds of trees right from the coastal areas to high ranges in the eastern parts of the district. Since most of the tress fell on electric lines, power supply disruption was almost complete.

The roofs of many houses, especially those in coastal areas were blown off. Several persons were injured and hospitalised. The Tangassery area in Kollam city was one among the worst hit. In many areas, tress falling across roads resulted in traffic disruptions. It took hours before normal traffic was restored. This happened on both the National Highways passing through Kollam. At most places, local residents joined hands to clear the trees from roads. At Thoppilkadavu in the city, a tin sheet roof that was fixed on a multi storey apartment complex, weighing a couple of tons, was ripped off and carried away in the wind. It was later recovered from a spot more than hundred metre away. A Guru mandiram at Pathanapuram was totally destroyed when a huge tree fell on it.

Houses destroyed

According to a release from the District Information Office, forty-two houses were completely destroyed and 312 partially destroyed in the storm.

Most of the destruction was caused by trees falling on houses. In Kollam city, nine houses were fully destroyed and 131 partially.

In Kottarakara, three houses were fully destroyed and seventy-four partially. At Kunnathur, thirty houses were fully destroyed and thirty-three were damaged. At Karunagapally, thirty houses were partially destroyed. District administration officials said a clear picture of the destruction will

be available only by Sunday morning since the storm had wrecked havoc in interior areas of the district also. There was heavy crop damage too.

Crop loss

The district administration informed that crops on 761 hectare got damaged and loss on account of this was estimated at Rs.86 lakh.

Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) Deputy Chief Engineer, Kollam Circle, Prabhakaran Nair said trees had fallen on electric lines at 1415 locations in the circle. Electric lines snapped at 1328 locations.

The number of 11 kV lines which had to be repaired was 107. He said 625 low tension electric posts also got uprooted. Two transformers were also damaged. The loss inflicted by the storm in the circle was estimated at Rs.75 lakh, Mr. Nair said.

Power supply

Mr. Nair informed that power supply restoration work was progressing on a war footing. In many areas supply was restored by evening. But there are areas were supply can only be restored by Sunday evening, he said.

Worst hit areas

KSEB Deputy Chief Engineer, Kottarakara Circle, Gopalakrishnan said the Thenmala-Aryankavu areas were the worst hit. Full resumption of power supply in these areas will take another day.

In addition to the emergency restoration squads of the KSEB, a disaster management cell was also engaged in work in the circle, he said.

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