Heavy rains: Youth drowns in check dam; landslip and falling tree trigger safety concerns in Idukki

IDUKKI: A 20-year-old youth drowned to death after falling into a check dam on his family's farmland at Thankamani amid heavy rain on Saturday evening. The deceased has been identified as Abin, son of Roy, a resident of Thampurankunnu, Thankamani.

The incident occurred around 7 pm while Abin was bathing in the check dam with a friend. He reportedly drowned during the bath. His body has been shifted to the mortuary of Thankamani Cooperative Hospital. Abin was a nursing student in Bengaluru.

Meanwhile, a large crack developed in the ground in front of a residence used by priests near the old Munnar CSI Church on the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway. The building has been declared unsafe, and Devikulam Sub-Collector directed the priests to shift to a safer location.

Traffic has been restricted on the stretch of the national highway up to the entry point to Munnar town. At present, vehicles can enter Munnar only through the bridge leading via Devikulam.

In another rain-related incident, a 13-year-old girl suffered minor injuries after a tree uprooted by strong winds and heavy rain fell on her house at Asharikandam in Nedumkandam. The tree crashed through the asbestos roof, and debris struck the girl, identified as Sandra, daughter of Saju of Thattamparambil, Thenpara, while she was sleeping on her bed.

As water levels rose sharply following heavy rainfall, the shutters of the Pambla Dam, a relatively small dam in the district, were opened. The district recorded 59.56 mm of rainfall, the highest rainfall recorded so far this monsoon season.