Rescue operations at landslide-hit regions —Kottayam and Idukki — in Kerala on Sunday witnessed heart-wrenching scenes with bodies of a mother and children found huddledtogether. A childin itscradlewas foundbeneath the debris, another life lost to the devastating rain.
The brief, intense rain spells in a couple of regions in Kerala indicated mini cloudbursts, a factor that also led to casualties, damage and loss of properties, a scientist at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) claimed on Sunday.
Citing more than 5 cm rain received in two hours in worst affected areas of Idukki and Kottayam districts, S Abhilash of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, CUSAT said it was a "mesoscale mini-cloudburst type of event".
Mini cloud bursts are marked by intense short spells which may not exceed 10cm in one hour-a classical definition by India Meteorological Department, he noted.
While 13 individuals have lost their lives so far in Kottayam district, eight have been killed in Idukki.
Many hapless families in Koottickal in Kerala's Kottayam suffered severe destruction and human casualty due to a series of landslips
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has earmarked 11 teams to be deployed in south and central parts of Kerala which are pounded by heavy rains.
NDRF director general S N Pradhan said in a tweet that the teams are being sent "in view of red alert for rainfall and possible flooding/water logging in several districts of Kerala."
One team each will be deployed in Malappuram, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Pathanamthitta, Palakkad, Kottayam, Kannur and Kollam while two teams will be stationed at Idukki. (PTI)
At least six people died and over a dozen were missing on Saturday as heavy rains pounded south and central Kerala causing flash floods and landslides in many parts, prompting the state government to seek the assistance of the defence forces for rescue operations. In one of the heavy rains in recent years, the high ranges of central and south Kerala are experiencing almost similar to that of the situation the state faced during the time of devastating floods of 2018 and 2019 but authorities said everything was under control and there was no need for any panic.
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