KOCHI: Heavy rains and strong winds created havoc in many parts of the district on Saturday leaving a trail of destruction. A major disaster was averted at Velloorkunnam near in Muvattupuzha Town when a three-storied building collapsed as nearby hillock caved in following a landslip.
The incident took place early in the morning and so there were no people present in the building. Offices of several private establishments have been functioning from this building which was constructed around 10 years ago.
The police and fire force reached the spot soon after the incident and started to clear the debris. Initially, there were reports that people had been buried under the rubble. However, police sources said that nobody was found.
The hillock that caved in due to landslip has created panic in the region as a water tank of the Kerala water authority which is in the locality is also in a a precarious state. The water from the tank has been drained out as a precautionary measure.
Heavy rains and wind lashed the Kothama-ngalam and Muvattupuzha regions for the second day in a row. Two people traveling on a scooter suffered injuries when a tree collapsed over them near the UP School in Muvattu-puzha Town on Saturday morning.
Another tragedy was averted on the Kochi-Madurai National Highway as yet another tree was uprooted and fell on to the road. The incident took place around 20 km away from the site of a similar mishap that occurred on Friday.
Incessant rains since the morning also disrupted traffic in many areas in Ernakualm city on Saturday. Several low lying areas were also under water.
