Rains, landslides leave trail of destruction in Kerala\'s tourist hot spot, Munnar

Five persons were feared dead and more than 80 persons feared to be trapped in a massive landslide at Rajamala near Munnar in Idukki district in Kerala. Four bodies have been recovered and several injured have been admitted to Tata High range hospital, Munnar, according to reports by the regional media.

The mishap occurred in the Pettimudi plantation division of Kannan Devan Hill Plantations during the wee hours of Friday. Since the Periyavare Bridge on the Munnar–Rajamala main road connecting Munnar to Udumalpet was washed away by torrential rains, accessing the accident site is difficult. Heavy rains and rough terrain also make rescue works challenging. Teams of NDRF from Thrissur and Alappuzha have left for the site, reports added.

Eravikulam panchayat authorities told regional television channels that five layams (line houses) were completely washed off in the landslide and all the residents, most of them plantation workers, are missing.

With disruption in power supply and phone connectivity in the area for the last few days, authorities came to know about the landslide when the local residents who escaped from the mishap informed them by Friday morning.