Rain plays havoc in Kerala, rail and road traffic affected

Rail and road traffic were hit in various parts of Kerala on Monday due to waterlogging as heavy rains continued to pound the state with the South West Monsoon becoming active again.

In the second spell of rains due to the South West monsoon, 11 people have been killed since July 9, according to the state control room, which is monitoring rain-related incidents. Several lowlying areas are inundated and roads are cut off, it said.

Due to waterlogging on rail tracks, signalling system has been affected and at least eight passenger trains have been cancelled and some others are running late in the Ernakulam-Thiruvananthapuram route. Kerala State Road Transport Corporation bus station here is also waterlogged, disrupting services, it said.

Educational institutions in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathnamthitta, Alapuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts are closed today as district collectors declared a holiday due to heavy rains. Kerala University has postponed all its examinations scheduled for tomorrow to July 21.

Cloudburst washes away houses in Chamoli, one killed

DEHRADUN: Several houses, shops and vehicles were swept away following a cloudburst in Tharali and Ghat areas of Chamoli district early on Monday, while a woman died after falling into an overflowing canal in Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand.

While five houses were damaged in Kundi village, ten houses suffered damage in Maukhmalla village of Ghat area where two animals were also washed away, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC)said here.

About 10-15 shops and ten vehicles including three motorcycles were washed away in Ratgaon in Tharali area of Chamoli district,it said.