The Hindu : Front Page : 17 killed in monsoon calamities

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Wednesday, Jul 18, 2007
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17 killed in monsoon calamities

Heavy rain, landslips, floods cause widespread damage in the State

Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran says rescue and relief operations on.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At least 17 persons have died in monsoon-related calamites in different parts of the State during the past 24 hours.

According to official reports reaching here on Tuesday afternoon, 11 persons were killed in landslips, floods and other incidents last night. They included two children who died when earth caved in on their house at Edavanna in Malappuram. Two other children died in a similar incident at Kodiyathoor in Kozhikode. Besides, a few people were missing.

Landslips occurred at Kottiyoor and Kelakam in Kannur district, Vaniyampara and Kuthiran in Thrissur and Vettilappara and Koodaranji in Kozhikode. Three persons were killed in the landslips in Kozhikode district and a house was destroyed in Thrissur. About 3,000 residents of Pachuthuruthy Island in the Valapatanam river remained marooned. About 200 families in Kozhikode district were moved to safer places. Traffic was disrupted on the Kottiyoor-Wayanad road following a landslip.

Several parts of Wayanad district were flooded. About 3,800 persons were moved to relief camps. Mananthavadi in the district was flooded with water level rising in the Peechunahalli dam in Karnataka in the Kabani basin. Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan and Chief Secretary Lizzie Jacob contacted their Karnataka counterparts for release of the water from the dam so that flood levels could come along the banks of the Kabani. Subsequently, the spillway shutters were opened.

Most of the smaller dams in the State were reaching their full reservoir levels. Warnings had been issued that the spillway shutters of Mangalam, Pothundy and Meenkara dams across the Bharatapuzha would be opened anytime.

An 85-year-old woman, Mariammam died at Udumbanchola in Idukki when earth caved in on her house. K. Santha, 40, drowned in Kasaragod. Vinodan, 50, and Usman, 38, of Kozhikode lost their lives in flood waters. Reports about more deaths were coming in from Malappuram and Kozhikode.

The Government mounted elaborate arrangements for rescue and relief as the rain remained unabated in the northern districts. Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran said teams from the National Disaster Response Force had been requested for Kannur, Wayanad, Malappuram and Idukki.

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