4 min readThiruvanananthapuramUpdated: Aug 1, 2026 07:09 PM IST
Six people died in Kerala on Saturday after heavy rainfall since Friday night battered the state. Landslides and flooding have destroyed houses and vast tracts of agricultural land, with Kottayam and Pathanamthitta said to be the worst affected.
Heavy spells continued, especially in the hilly regions. The IMD sounded a red alert in nine districts of Idukki, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod.
Chief Minister V D Satheesan has directed ministers to camp in different districts to oversee rescue and relief operations. The state also sought the Navy’s assistance after two fishermen went missing at Muthalapozhi in Thiruvananthapuram. A coast guard vessel is already engaged in search operations.
Caught off-guard
A day after the IMD predicted isolated heavy rain in some districts in Kerala, torrential rainfall caught the state off guard on Saturday. IMD had declared an orange alert (heavy to very heavy rain) for Saturday in nine districts, mainly in North Kerala. Kottayam and Pathanamthitta, two of the worst-affected districts, were on yellow alert (moderate rain).
A nowcast issued at 10 pm Friday for southern and central Kerala, including Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Kottayam, was only an orange alert. The first red alert for the districts was given at 11.15 pm.
The torrential rain that pummeled the state through the night delayed rescue operations.
Most tourism hubs, especially the hill stations, across the state are closed until further orders. Travelling to Wayanad, which is on high alert, is also restricted.
After the Pamba river swelled, the Travancore Devaswom board on Saturday advised devotees to reconsider their plan to visit the Sabarimala temple.
Loss of lives, property
Several people also lost their lives in the ensuing floods and landslides.
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Rejina Johny and her son Josefine from Poonjar in Kottayam district died after a landslide buried their house in the early hours of Saturday. Josefine had recently sustained an injury in a road accident and could not escape. Both bodies were recovered later.
At Kudayathoor village in Idukki district, 69-year-old Sumathi died after her house was hit by a landslide. Sumathi’s husband Ravi Narayanan and son Ratheesh escaped with injuries.
At Kolahalamedu in Idukki, Prabakaran Nair (72) died when the rain-soaked wall of his house collapsed. Two kids, both aged below 5, died in Malappuram after they slipped into streams near their homes.
Ranni and Aranmula in Pathanamthitta, and Pala and Erattupetta in Kottayam district were inundated leaving shops and establishments flooded and scores of people stranded in their houses. Small fishing boats and yachts were deployed on Saturday to rescue them.
Several hilly regions in the state saw extremely heavy rainfall, according to data. Wagamon in Idukki reported 314 mm of rain and Thikkoy in Kottayam 277 mm in the last 24 hours till Saturday 7 am. Vythiri in Wayanad district reported 208.4 mm of rainfall, and Anakkampoyil in Kozhikode 106 mm from 8.30 am to 4 pm on Saturday. The region got 306 mm of rainfall in the last 33 hours.
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On the other hand, Kerala has reported a 34 per cent deficit in rainfall in the southwest monsoon between June 1 and July 31. Against the usual rain of 1,301 mm during this period, the state witnessed only 853 mm of rain.
