Woman dies in mudslide in Munnar

Tragic death in Idukki as mudslide buries woman's house, prompting relief efforts and travel restrictions in the district.

A 38-year-old woman died after mud caved in on to her house at New Colony, near Munnar town, in Idukki on Tuesday evening.

The police identified the deceased as Mala Kumar, the wife of Kumar. The area experienced heavy rainfall in the evening and mud fell on the house. The woman was trapped inside for about half-an-hour.

Though Fire and Rescue Services personnel, local people, and the police pulled her out and rushed her to the Government Hospital in Munnar, she was declared dead. The body was shifted to the mortuary for post-mortem examination.

According to the police, her husband was at his office at Devikulam. The couple had three children. The youngest son, who was at the house, alerted neighbours, who initiated rescue operations. An eyewitness said two rooms of the house were fully covered with mud after the mudslide.

Considering the chances of mudslides in the area, revenue officials shifted families to relief camps in Munnar.

Meanwhile, the Idukki District Collector banned night travel between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. in the district.

The district received extremely heavy rainfall on Tuesday. In the evening, a tree got uprooted and fell on the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway at Cheeyappara, near Adimaly, disrupting traffic. Fire and Rescue Services personnel later removed the tree and restored traffic.