Kerala - Kannur   

Rain leaves trail of destruction in Kannur

KANNUR: Summer showers that had been lashing the district over the past one week intensified from Friday night and left a trail of destruction in different parts.

The district on Saturday witnessed incessant rain that wreaked havoc on properties and standing crops. Eleven persons were injured in two incidents of house collapse. Eight persons sustained injuries when the tailed roof of their house at Annoor near Taliparamba collapsed in the morning. The injured include Paru (75), Rajan (45), Chandrika (48), Valsala (40), Ashwathi (18), Athira (15), Rahul (10 and Rajesh (7). They were admitted to a hospital at Talipramba. Three of a family were injured when a wall of their house at Attadappa near the Kannur town caved in. The injured are K. Ramankutty (43), his wife Mary Fernandez (38) and their son Shijin (10).

As many as 78 houses were partially damaged in the heavy rain accompanied by thunder and lightning. According to preliminary official figures, the loss from damage to the houses was estimated at Rs.6.9 lakh.

The control room opened at the Collectorate said that 458 farmers were affected by the rain. Agricultural crops in an estimated 2,000 hectares were damaged in the rain. The farmers were estimated to have suffered a loss of Rs.38 lakh. The crops were damaged in Kankol, Mayyil, Kannapuram, Ulikkal, Payam, Sreekantapuram, Payyannur and Kadannappally. The crops damaged in the rain over the past few days included 128 coconut trees, 180 arecanut palms, 10,500 plantain trees, 80 rubber trees, vegetables grown in a total 48 ha and tapioca in six ha. An extent of 120 ha under paddy cultivation was also affected by the rain.

Unexpectedly strong summer rain brought agony to farmers, especially paddy cultivators and cashew growers. Rubber tapping in the hill areas came to a standstill as a result of the incessant showers. Normal life was also paralysed by the rain that was still continuing unabated in the evening.

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Rain leaves trail of destruction in Kannur

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