Three tribal boys were buried alive as the rain-sodden riverbank they were sitting on gave way in Wayanad district, taking the number of casualties in the heavy rain battering Kerala in the last seven days to 11, besides inflicting agricultural loss to the tune of Rs 100 crore.

The boys, who were sitting on the banks of Varadoor river in Wayanad district, were trapped when the mound of earth caved in on them. The victims, from nearby tribal colonies, were identified as Muthukrishnan, Ranjit and Sivan. Two others had been admitted to the hospital.

Visiting the rain-battered rice zone of Kuttanad in central Travancore, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan assured farmers that their losses would be fully compensated and that the entire stock of harvested paddy will be procured by the State Civil Supplies Corporation without considering the financial commitments involved.

Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Rathnakaran said the state had suffered a loss of Rs 100 crore through destruction of crops. A high-level panel led by Agricultural Productions Commissioner K Jayakumar has been asked to submit a report on the crop loss.