Heavy rains lash Kerala: School wall collapses in Kanhangad, multiple casualties and accidents reported across state

KASARAGOD: Heavy, unrelenting rains across Northern Kerala have triggered widespread damage and disruption, with a major disaster narrowly averted in Kasaragod on Friday afternoon.
At approximately 2:15 PM, a massive retaining wall at the UBMC School in Kanhangad collapsed directly onto an adjacent road. The structure, a stone wall that had been previously reinforced after showing signs of structural weakness, gave way completely under the pressure of continuous downpours since the morning. Shocking CCTV footage of the collapse has since emerged. A major tragedy was miraculously avoided because no students or bystanders were in the area or on the road at the exact moment of the collapse.
However, the severe weather has proven fatal elsewhere in the state. In Thrissur's Kodungallur, a scooter rider was killed when a heavy tree was uprooted by fierce winds and crashed onto him. The victim has been identified as Manikandan, a resident of Karumathra. The fatal accident occurred at Pozhankavu on the Sree Narayanapuram - West Vemballur road.
Meanwhile, in Palakkad, wet and slick road conditions led to a severe collision between a truck and a motorcycle early Friday morning around 6:00 AM. A motorcyclist from Tamil Nadu sustained injuries in the crash. According to local reports, the truck was heading towards Palakkad from the Cherpulassery area when it encountered a sharp bend. As the driver slammed on the brakes, the vehicle skidded into the centre of the wet road, colliding with the oncoming motorcycle. Authorities attribute the accident to the slippery road surface caused by continuous rain.
The monsoon-like downpours show no signs of abating, with Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod districts bearing the brunt of the storm. Rising water levels have flooded low-lying areas, while minor landslides and uprooted trees on major stretches have brought traffic to a standstill in several parts of the region.