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Three children killed in landslip in Wayanad

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Heavy summer rain continued to wreak extensive damage in Kerala on Saturday. Three children were killed in landslip in Wayanad and five fishermen who ventured into the sea from Kasaragod on Thursday were reported missing.

The children, Renjith (9), Sivan (7) and Muthukrishnan (12) of Cheekakalloor tribal colony at Varathoor in Wayanad were killed in landslip when they were engaged in fishing. Sivan and Muthukrishnan had come to Renjith’s house on vacation. Though the children were taken to the Panamaram health centre, they died on the way to the centre. The bodies were taken to the Mananthavady district hospital and handed over to the relatives after post-mortem. The District Collector offered an assistance of Rs.5,000 each to the kin of the deceased. Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran and Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes A.K. Balan sought a report from the district administration.

Five fishermen, who went out for fishing from Keezhoor beach in Kasaragod district, were reported missing till Saturday noon. Gangadharan, Chandran, Vasudevan, Gopalan and Varghese went for fishing in two boats. The Coast Guard had started search operations for the missing fishermen.

According to the latest predictions of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the low pressure area off south Kerala had intensified and this was likely to trigger very heavy rain all over the State, especially north Kerala during the next two days. Revenue Department sources said details of crop loss and destruction of houses and other properties were being assessed. District revenue authorities had been asked to submit reports of the loss at the earliest.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran demanded that the Centre send a team to assess the damage caused by the rain. In a fax message to Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Mr. Ratnakaran said the loss due to the rain had been estimated at Rs.68 crore.

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