Rescue workers on Sunday recovered the bodies of six persons who were missing following a major landslip at Kokkayar, on the border of Idukki and Kottayam districts, on Saturday evening.
Seven persons were missing from the landslip-hit area at Poovanchi, near Kokkayar.
The bodies of Shaji Chirayil, 55; Cheripurathu Fousia, 28; her son Ameen Siyad, 7, and daughter Amna Siyad; Kallupurackal Afsan Faisal, 8; and Ahiyan Faisal, 4; were recovered.
The body of Vadasheril Joji, 44, was recovered from Peruvanthanam on Saturday. With this the total number of deaths in the district due to flood and landslips rose to nine.
The bodies of two persons who drowned when a car got washed away in the flash flood were recovered from Munnunkavayal, near Kanjar, on Saturday.
A joint search operation by the National Disaster Response Force, Fire and Rescue Services personnel and local people recovered the bodies from the Kokkayar. The bodies were shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital, Kottayam, for post-mortem examination.
Rescue works at the landslip site by local people on Saturday had to be suspended due to bad weather and as the area was isolated following landslips and flash floods.
Tragic scenes were witnessed at the accident site on Sunday. The bodies of three children, Amna, Afsan and Ahiyan, were found hugging each other.
Revenue Minister K. Rajan, Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine, Idukki MP Dean Kuriakose, District Development Commissioner Arjun Pandiyan and Peerumade MLA Vazhoor Soman led the search operations.
Rain subsided in the district on Sunday. Peerumade taluk received the highest rainfall of 305.5 mm on Saturday. This was the highest rainfall in the State in recent times.
