Heavy rain lashes central Travancore, schoolgirl goes missing

The central Travancore districts of Pathanamthitta and Kottayam on Wednesday came under an intense spell of showers on Wednesday, triggering concerns of flash floods and landslips. The surging water also swept away a 14-year-old girl near Bharananganam, who is yet to be traced. The local police said the girl, identified as Mariya of Chittanappara, accidentally fell into a stream near Kunnanamkuzhy on the Bharananganam-Ayyampara route. The Class IX student was returning home from school when the incident took place. On an alert, a rescue team reached the spot and launched a search operation in the waterbody, which courses down to the Meenachil river. Eyewitness accounts suggested that the missing girl along with her school mate had reached the spot by an autorickshaw. While both of them were caught in a heavy gush of water, the other girl was rescued by the driver of a school bus that passed by. On an alert, locals rushed to the spot but Mariya had already gone missing in the water body. Officials, meanwhile, continued with the rescue mission till late in the evening despite the continuing showers and visibility conditions. The girl, however, is yet to be traced. Top officials from the Revenue department led by the Kottayam RDO have also reached the spot. The showers, which began in the afternoon, intensified by the evening and continued till late on the day. A minor landslide was reported in Kottathatti hill near Elathoor, Pathanamthitta. Four families who were residing in the location were shifted to a safe place. In Kalanjoor, at least seven families were rescued from Kuttumon which reported a flash flood in the evening. As per estimates, Pathanamathitta town recorded 200 mm of rain within a few hours and traffic disruptions were reported from several locations. Anticipating more showers, the India Meteorological Department has declared a red alert for the district. Malayinchippara village on the eastern high-ranges of Kottayam recorded 123.4 mm of rain in just two hours that ended at 5.30 p.m. Aided by the heavy showers on the high ranges, water level in the Meenachil and Manimala rivers began to rise late in the day.