Heavy rains lash parts of Kerala; Orange alert in two districts

Thiruvananthapuram: As heavy rains lashed many parts of Kerala in the last couple of days leading to the death of two people in Alappuzha district, the IMD on Monday issued an Orange alert in two districts of the southern state for the day.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an Orange alert in Pathanamthitta and Idukki districts for today and tomorrow.

An Orange alert means very heavy rains from 6 cm to 20 cm.

The two rain-related deaths occurred in an accident on Sunday evening when the driver of an autorickshaw carrying a family of four lost control amidst the heavy rains as a result of which the vehicle overturned and fell into the Achankovil river.

While a woman died in the mishap, her son had gone missing. The woman's husband, daughter and the autorickshaw driver were rescued by locals, a fire rescue official said.

"The body of the boy was found today morning after search operations by a scuba team," the official said.

In Pathanamthitta district, due to isolated heavy rains over the last three days, landslides were reported from some parts and one shutter of the Moozhiyar dam was opened which would lead to rise in water level of Pamba river, the local administration said.

It also said heavy rains were expected in some parts of the district and therefore, a holiday was declared on Monday for educational institutions in Konni taluk.

The IMD also predicted that moderate rain was likely to occur at one or two places in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam districts during the day.

It said the moderate rain was likely to continue in Kerala for the next five days with a possibility of heavy rains at isolated places from September 4 to 8.

Meanwhile, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) said that there was a possibility of high waves and storm surges along the Kerala coast during the day.

Fishermen and coastal residents have been asked to be cautious and stay away from the dangerous areas as well as avoid trips to the beach or any sea-related activities.

Instructions were also issued to keep fishing and other vessels safely moored in the harbour and to maintain a safe gap between the boats to avoid the risk of their colliding with each other.