Heavy rains unabated in north Kerala

Heavy rains continued at various parts of Kerala, especially the northern districts of Kasargod and Kannur, on Sunday also, while hundreds of families in coastal areas were shifted to safer places owing to high tides.

The body of one of three fishermen missing in the sea off Kollam coast over the last couple of days was recovered on Sunday. Search for the two others were still continuing. All are natives of Tamilnadu. The deceased was identified as Sahayraj of Kanyakumari district.

Weather experts have forecast that North Kerala districts - Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasargod - would receive extremely heavy rain in the next couple of days also. But afterwards, the rains may become weak across the state.

On Sunday, the intensity of rains in Kasargod declined by afternoon. However many parts of the district, including areas of Kanhangad, were flooded and residents shifted to relief camps. As many as 90 houses in the district had been damaged in the rains, said local sources.

In the coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram, several houses have been destroyed due to sea erosion.

Despite the heavy rains in the state over the last couple of days, the reservoirs in the state are having about 15 % of the water of the storage capacity.