5 die as rains pound Kerala

Five people were killed as intermittent heavy rains and strong winds battered various parts of Kerala on Thursday uprooting trees and inundating roads and several homes while over 2000 people have been shifted to relief camps.

The northern districts bore the brunt of the rain fury.

Nilambur in Malappuram was briefly flooded after the Chaliyar river overflowed and people in waterlogged areas were asked to shift to their relatives homes.

Torrential rains,which lashed the eastern parts of Kozhikode, Wayanad and Malappuram districts since Tuesday evening, has inundated several low-lying areas in many parts of the three districts.

The carcass of a wild elephant from Neriamangalam village in Ernakulam was washed away in the Periyar river in the heavy rains, forestdepartment sources said. In Thrissur, trees were uprooted due to strong winds and heavyrains lashing the district.

In Chalakudy-Irinjalakuda region, trees and electricposts were uprooted with vast areas of rubbertrees and banana farm being destroyed.

Trees fell on some shops and homes, damaging them.

As the heavy spells continued for the third day in Kerala, the India Meteorological Department sounded a 'red alert' for the hilly districts -Wayanad and Idukki -- for Thursday and Malappuram district on Friday.

The State Disaster Management Authority said besides five deaths, six people were injured, and 12 houses were fully destroyed.