Rescue operations under way at Payyanithottam, Poonjar, where a landslip was reported on August 1, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Torrential rain claimed two lives in Kottayam on Saturday (August 1, 2026) after a rain-triggered landslip buried a house at Payanithottam in Kaippally, Poonjar Thekkekara.
Also read | Follow the Kerala heavy rains updates on August 1, 2026
The deceased were identified as Josephin Johny and his mother, Regina Johny. The landslip occurred when a section of the hillside adjoining their house gave way following incessant rain, sending a large mass of earth crashing onto the building and burying it under debris.
Josephin’s father, M.J. Johny, escaped unhurt as he was at a neighbouring house when the landslip struck. The couple’s two other daughters, Jomit and Somit, were also away from home at the time of the incident.
Josephin, the couple’s second son, worked at the canteen of an engineering college at Choondacherry. He had been recuperating at home after sustaining a leg injury in a motorcycle accident at Erattupetta about a month ago. Regina was an employee of a private school at Payanithottam, while Johny works as a school bus driver. The younger of the couple escaped the tragedy as she had gone to visit her sister.
According to local residents, the landslip originated from the Idamala hillside. They said the area had no history of major landslips, making the incident all the more unexpected.
Personnel from the Fire and Rescue Services, the police and the Revenue Department launched a rescue operation soon after the incident. However, the two could not be rescued alive, and their bodies were later recovered from the debris.
The authorities have warned that the continuing heavy rain has heightened the risk of further landslips in the area.
Meanwhile, the situation in Pathanamthitta continues to worsen as the Ranni town remains under two to two-and-a-half feet of floodwater, with rising water levels leaving people stranded in several parts of the town.
Several families remain trapped at Ittiyappara, where rescue teams are yet to reach. A number of people have also taken refuge on the upper floors of commercial buildings in the town even as floodwaters continue to rise.
The region received intermittent rain through Friday (July 31, 2026) before the downpour intensified overnight. Rainfall of around 300 mm has been recorded in the Sabarimala forests, leading to a sharp increase in runoff and flooding.
Rescue operations in the region are currently being carried out by police and Fire and Rescue Services personnel deployed in Sabarimala for the Niraputhari festival. Efforts are under way to bring in additional dinghies and a rescue boat from Kollam, while arrangements are also being made to deploy traditional boats.
The Pampa river has breached its banks at several locations and floodwaters from Ranni have begun spreading to downstream areas. Water has started entering Kozhencherry, Cherukolpuzha and Aranmula, prompting the authorities to evacuate residents from low-lying areas.
In view of the flooding, the procession of palliyodams (snake boats) in connection with the Aranmula Vallasadya ritual has been cancelled. The authorities have also prohibited entry into forest areas.
Published – August 01, 2026 12:33 pm IST
