13 die in Kerala landslides

Two persons were killed when a house in Ozhuvathadam settlement colony was razed by the landslide. The deceased included a one-and-a-half-year-old girl and a 75-year-old woman. One person was killed in the landslide in Valara and another in Cheeyappara. The bodies of those killed in Valara, Cheeyappara and Ozhuvathadam have been kept at the Adimali hospital.

Twenty four persons with serious injuries have been admitted to hospitals at Adimali and Kothamangalam. Large crowds swarmed the Adimali government hospital on hearing about the tragedy.

The landslide at all these places occurred after heavy rains that lashed the high ranges for nearly seven hours on Monday. As the telephone and electricity lines in Pazhapallichal and neighbouring areas snapped and roads were blocked, the locals were unable to contact the nearest police station or hospitals.

Consequently, the bodies lay buried under mounds of earth and rocks. Relief and rescue operations could be launched by the police and fire brigade personnel only on Tuesday morning. The movement of men and materials for the rescue operations was also affected due to the roadblocks created by the landslide. Several bridges and culverts on the Neryamangalam-Adimali route were washed away.