Heavy rains, strong winds hit Southern districts; 4 killed

Thiruvananthapuram: Heavy rains accompanied by strong winds battered South Kerala coast affecting normal life at several places and claiming four lives Thursday under the influence of cyclone Ockhi.

The state government put the official machinery on a high alert and ordered evacuation of people living within 100 metres from the coast and also sought help from the Navy, Coast Guard and the Air Force to assist people in distress.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held discussions through video conferencing with the Collectors of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alapuzha, Pathnamthitta, Idukki and Ernakulam districts and gave them necessary directions to take steps by coordinating various government agencies.

He also asked the officials to take emergency rescue operations in the affected areas and asked them maintain extreme vigil.

The services of Coastguard, Navy and Air Force were being availed for rescue and relief operations, a government press release said.

An elderly couple died when they came into contact with a snapped live wire in front of their house at Kattakada near here while an autorickshaw driver was killed in Kolam district when a tree fell on his vehicle, police said.

A 65-year old woman who was seriously injured when a tree branch fell on her at Vizhinjam died at the medical college hospital here.

With the Met office forecasting squally weather with wind speed occasionally reaching 65-75 kmph along southern parts of the state in the next two days in view of the cyclone, a general alert had been sounded for officials in coastal areas, official sources said.

Due to bad weather, a scheduled two-day programme of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, which was to begin tomorrow, has been cancelled, party sources said.

The state capital and its coastal stretch were witnessing heavy rains accompanied by strong winds since this morning and the district collector has issued orders to evacuate people living close to the sea.

In several places, electric posts got uprooted, disrupting power supply.

Houses situated in low lying areas have been waterlogged and crops affected. Several thatched houses were damaged.

Shutters of the Neyyar dam, a major reservoir in Thiruvananthapuram district, was lifted with the water level reaching the maximum.

Vizhinjam coastal police said they received information that at least 57 fishermen who had put out to sea from Thumba to Pozhiyur since yesterday, were yet to return.

Twentynine traditional boats which had set out from Poonthura were also out in the sea, police said.

Sabrimala, where the famous lord Ayyappa temple is located, is also experiencing heavy rains.

Due to overflowing of Pamba river downhills, vehicles were moved from the parking area at Pamba and pilgrims had been asked to avoid night trekking to the hill shrine.

In view of the heavy rains, the southern railways announced partial cancellation of at least four trains in the region.

A Kochi report said Navy deployed four ships and two aircraft to assist in the search and rescue of fishermen onboard six boats and a marine Engineering vessel reported to be missing in the sea near Vizhinjam.

The Southern Naval Command deployed Naval ships 'Shardul', 'Nireekshak', 'Kabra' and 'Kalpeni' and two aircraft based on the request received from the Thiruvananthapuram District Collector for assistance, a Defence release said in Kochi.

The ships and aircraft would carry out search and rescue operations in the area and would continue to remain at sea for any assistance required by the civil administration till the cyclone crossed the coast.

The Southern Naval Command was also gearing up for any humanitarian assistance and disaster relief that may be required in view of the cyclone in the southern parts of Kerala, the release said.