Videos show car swept away, rescue from submerged bus after Kerala rain

Mangalore Today News Network / NDTV

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 16, 2021: Heavy rain slammed several parts of Kerala today as five districts were put on red alert and seven districts on orange alert. A footage showing a bus stuck in a waterlogged street - with passengers struggling to come out - turned out to be one of the most defining videos of the rain horror in the southern state.

 

Visuals from rural Kottayam, one of the five districts where "heavy to extremely heavy" rain alert was issued, show locals pushing a car while they could barely move in knee-deep water.

 

Heavy rainfall alert in #Kerala. IMD issues red alert in 5 districts - Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur. Orange alert in 7 districts - Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad.

Shots of flooding in Rural Kottayam. pic.twitter.com/1b04Tkec2a

— NDTV (@ndtv) October 16, 2021

Another clip shows some men standing in a row, trying to apparently pull out a vehicle with a rope amid heavy downpour.

Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur are the districts that have been put on red alert. In seven districts of the state - Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad - the weather office has sounded an "orange alert", which signifies "heavy to very heavy rain". Two districts have been put on yellow alert.The Chief Minister’s office has sent out a cautionary note, urging people to be extremely careful and avoid venturing out for travels into the mountains or near rivers.

 

Dramatic visuals of people being evacuated from a KSRTC bus in Poonjar, rural #Kottayam. No loss of life reported, confirm officials. IMD issues red alert for the district. pic.twitter.com/YtOMKHWIc5

— NDTV (@ndtv) October 16, 2021

"Under the influence of the low pressure area over Southeast Arabian Sea off Kerala coast, the state is expected to receive isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy falls till the morning of October 17 (Sunday). Isolated heavy rainfall is expected on 18th (Monday) and further reduction in rainfall from 19th morning (Tuesday)," the weather office said in a statement.Warning the fishermen, it further said: "Squally weather with wind speed reaching 40-50 Kmph gusting 60 Kmph is likely to prevail over Kerala coast. Fishermen are advised not to venture into these sea areas" today and tomorrow.