No rest for Idukki, man dies while fleeing landslide

IDUKKI: A man died of cardiac arrest in a sudden reflex to run away from a landslide in Nedumkandam on late Friday. Mekhana Johnson (52), a resident of Nedumkandam, has been recognised as the deceased.

The district has been undergoing isolated heavy rain for the past five days. One shutter of the Mattuppetty dam and two shutters of Ponmudi dam have been opened.
 
Landslide occurred at Kailaspuri, when Johnson was returning home on his motorcycle. Johnson, while trying to run away after the vehicle was caught in the landslide, fell and the residents rushed him to a nearby hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Two acres of cardamom plantation was destroyed in the heavy landslide. On Friday, Nedumkandam was submerged after it measured 117.02mm rainfall in four hours, said revenue department officials.