Unprecedented torrential rain and strong winds crippled normal life in Wayanad district on Friday.
Most parts of the district experienced heavy rainfall on the day. The Mundakkai region in Meppadi grama panchayat received 300 mm rainfall in the past 24 hours, while the Chooralmala region in the panchayat got 280 mm, and Thavinjal 290 mm.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rain for the next 48 hours.
With the district in a rain spell, landslips were reported at Mundakkai, near Meppadi, Vanjode, near Vellamunda, and the Palchuram ghat section on the day.
A landslip at Punhirimattom, near Mundakkai, in the morning destroyed two houses and two bridges. No casualties were reported, thanks to the intervention of the district administration. The administration had shifted all families from the area on Wednesday and Thursday. However, 25 members of four families who did not heed the advice of the administration were stranded and had to be rescued by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Fire and Rescue Services.
The Kozhikode-Kollegal National Highway 766 was inundated at Ponkuzhi and Thakarappady on the Kerala -Karnataka border and vehicles were diverted through Bavali. A temporary mobile facilitation centre would set up at Bavali for travellers from other States.
As many as 3,363 members of 921 families were shifted to 62 relief camps in the district.
District Collector Adeela Abdulla ordered resorts, homestays, and hotels managers to vacate all tourists from their properties in the wake of the IMD red alert for the district on Saturday.
