Watch Flash Floods Sweep Away Parked Force Traveller
The south Indian state of Kerala is famous for its scenic natural landscapes, greenery, beaches, and backwaters. It attracts a lot of tourists from across the world. The Idukki district is famous for its mountains, forests, wildlife, lakes, and waterfalls. It received heavy overnight rains on Friday (October 17th), triggering flash floods and mudslides in many areas. Soon, Mullaperiyar and Kallarkutty dams were opened partially, leading to a sudden rise in water levels in nearby rivers and lakes. These flooded homes and even washed away parked vehicles. The video of a Force Traveller getting swept away by flash floods has now been shared online, revealing the gravity of the situation.
This clip is from Koottar, a small town near Nedumkandam. It opens by showing strong currents of muddy water rushing down what looks like a steep slope. It seems to have great force. Soon, we get our first view of a White Force Traveller floating down. It is headed for the slope.
We then see it falling off a ridge and nosediving into the current. The water seems to be violent and continues to flow down, taking the 3.5-ton vehicle along. The person who filmed this can be heard saying ‘ There’s so much water that even a Traveller is getting swept away’.
‘So, what happened here?’, ‘Was the driver of this vehicle attempting something adventurous when the current took it along?‘, ‘Did the floating minivan have people inside?’- The internet seems to have so many questions. Let’s answer them here.
The vehicle in this video was parked near the SBI Agri Commercial Branch, which is at least a 2-minute walking distance from the water body. There was thus no one inside when the Traveller got washed away. As strong rains continued, water levels rose in Idukki, Kallarkutty, and Mullaperiyar dams. This forced authorities to raise shutters partially.
In fact, four shutters of the Kallarkutty dam were opened after its water level reportedly reached 824.5 metres. This released 160 cusecs of water (meaning 160 cubic feet of water released per second), causing the water body to swell in no time. The river flooded nearby areas and caused damage to property and vehicles parked nearby.
It soon reached the SBI bank area and washed away vehicles, including the Traveller shown here. Reports also say that several other vehicles, including two-wheelers and cars, were also swept away.
Hundreds of houses in Nedumkandam are reported to be affected by the flood. Many areas in Koottar, Third Camp, Sanyasioda, Mundiyeruma, Thookupalam, Thannimoodu and Kallar towns have posted heavy waterlogging.
Heavy rains caused damage in many parts of Idukki and disrupted public life. Rescue teams shifted residents of flooded areas to safe locations. These people returned once the rains subsided. Traffic came to a standstill on the Kumily-Murikkady-Vellaramkunnu Road, Anakkara-Puttady Road, and Kumily-Cumbum Road after strong winds caused trees to fall.
Three shutters of the Mullaperiyar Dam (R1, R2, R3) were raised by 75 centimetres on Saturday. This released 1,063 cusecs. The water level in the reservoir reportedly rose beyond 824.5 metres.
Authorities have asked people who live along the river banks to remain vigilent and avoid entering the flooded areas if possible. The local bodies, police, and fire and rescue teams have also been asked to be on high alert and carry out prompt evacuation if needed.
According to forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), many parts of Kerala, will continue to receive heavy rainfall in the next four days. The reason for this, they say, is a cyclonic circulation in the Arabian Sea. The hilly areas of central and southern Kerala are likely to be the most affected.