5 killed, hundreds rendered homeless as monsoon grips Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, May 30 (UNI) Five people were killed and one person went missing in monsoon fury today, taking the death toll since the southwest monsoon hit the Kerala coasts five days ago, to 130.

Rains continued to play havoc in the state, rendering hundreds homeless, destroying agricultural lands and causing a loss of about Rs 15 crore, official sources said.

A 14-year-old girl was killed when a tree fell on her at Pullankode in Malappuram and another person died at Parapanangadi when a tree fell on the lorry in which he was travelling. Two persons were killed in Kollam district.

A Palakkad report said Kanija (14) drowned in Alamnallur village while taking bath and another person was missing in the Attapadi-Bhavani river.

Six deaths were reported yesterday and two earlier.

With the monsoon continuing to be vigorous, the coastal regions and the low-lying areas were under the threat of sea erosion and flood.

Report of erozion caused by the sea came in from many places in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kochi, Malappuram and Kozhikode and a large number of people were shifted to relief camps.

Sources said about 588 persons were shifted to relief camps in Ernakulam.

A report from Kozhikode said 295 people from low-lying areas were shifted today to relief camps. With this, altogether 384 people were housed in five relief camps set up at Maruthongara, Viyoor, Iringal, Pandalayali and Parayencheri in the district.

With torrential rains lashing for the last two days, more than 200 houses were damaged. In Kasargode, about 100 houses were partially damaged and in Ernakulam seven houses were destroyed.

Twenty-nine houses were partially damaged and five destroyed in Wayanad, the sources said and added, in Thiruvananthapuram two houses were completely destroyed and three houses partially.

A total of 24 houses were destroyed and 25 houses partially damaged in Palakkad. More than 600 houses had been damaged in the monsoon rains till now.

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