Thiruvananthapuram, May 28 Heavy rains across Kerala, including a suspected cloud burst at Kochi, on Tuesday left four people dead and caused large destruction across the state.
Kottayam and Ernakulam districts have been the worst-hit and the IMD has announced a Red alert in these two districts. Likewise, an Orange alert has been announced for Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, and Idukki.
According to S. Abhilash, Associate Professor at the Cochin University of Science and Technology, a record 98.4 mm of rainfall was recorded in a matter of 90 minutes at the rain gauge on their campus.
The Infopark IT park at Kakkanadu in Kochi was another place badly hit by the heavy rains.
Several areas in Kochi, the commercial capital of the state, were left waterlogged and water entered numerous houses in some low-lying areas.
A Class 10 student, who had ventured out for a swim at Vengoor near Kochi, was drowned, while Aravind, who was standing outside his house in Alappuzha, died when a coconut tree got uprooted and fell on him.
Fisherman Abraham, out on his fishing boat off the capital city's Muthalapozhi suburbs, lost his life after it overturned in the rough seas while a death was reported in north Kerala.
Water entered the ground floor of the home of 97-year-old award-winning writer and literary critic M. Leelavathy at Kochi and destroyed her awards and her collection of books.
Authorities have closed down Ponmudi, a popular hill station in Thiruvananthapuram district besides destinations in high-altitude areas in the Kottayam district, where landslides and landslips have also been reported.
Relief camps have started functioning at a few places in central Kerala where the rain waters played havoc.
Meanwhile, with the southwest monsoon expected later this week, more rains are predicted by the IMD.
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