Thiruvananthapuram: Heavy rains in Kerala on Thursday claimed 20 lives, leaving a trail of destruction across the southern state. With water levels rising in various dams and reaching almost its maximum capacity, shutters of at least 22 reservoirs in the state have been opened to drain out excess water.
Of the total deaths, 11 people were killed in a massive landslide in high range Idukki, six in northern Malappuram district, two others in Kannur and one in Wayanad district since last night, disaster control room source said here. Five members of a family were killed in Idukki’s Adimali town.
Two persons were pulled out alive from the debris by the locals and police. For the first time in the last 26 years, a shutter of the Cheruthoni dam of the Idukki reservoir, considered the biggest arch dam in Asia, was opened on Thursday with the water level touching 2,398.98 ft.
The full reservoir level (FRL) of the dam is 2,403 ft. Four shutters of the Idamalayar dam in Kochi district were opened this morning and people living in the banks of Periyar river and its other tributaries were asked to be vigilant as the released water was likely to inundate low-lying areas. (PTI)
