5 of family dead following landslide in Kerala
Idukki (Kerala), Aug 29: Five members of a family lost their lives after a landslide, triggered by heavy rains, hit their house on Monday at a village near Thodupuzha here, police said.
Police said Kanjar residents Thankamma (80), her son Soman (52), his wife Shaji (50), their daughter Shima (30) and Devanand (5) lost their lives in the landslide that happened early morning.
The hilly regions of Kerala have been receiving heavy rains for the last two days.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a yellow alert for all districts except Kasaragod on Tuesday.
In Kottayam district, Nedunkunnam, Karukachal, villages have been flooded and fire services personnel have been rushed to evacuate the residents.
Meanwhile, in Pathanamthitta district, a minor flood was experienced at some regions of Mallappally taluk. The small streams of Mallappally, Anikkad, and Tholliyur villages have been overflowing.
"Water entered some houses and shops at the Kottangal village in Mallappally taluk. A car was washed away in overflowing water and locals have managed to tie it to a tree with a rope," the Pathanamthitta District Information Officer said.
Besides, the hilly regions of Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kannur districts have been receiving heavy rains over the last two days but no untoward incidents have been reported from there so far.
In Malappuram district, Olipuzha was spilling over its banks forcing the authorities to shift the residents along the bank of the river to relief camps.
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Family of injured driver in murder of Suvendu's aide seeks exemplary punishment
Kolkata (PTI): The family of Buddhabeb Bera, the driver injured in the shooting that killed BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's close aide Chandranath Rath, demanded exemplary punishment for those responsible and urged the new government to ensure such incidents do not happen in West Bengal.
Rath was shot dead in Madhyamgram near Kolkata on Wednesday night, triggering a political storm in the state. Bera, who was driving the vehicle at the time of the attack, sustained gunshot wounds and is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
Family members said they learned about the incident through television and immediately left for Kolkata.
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"We came to know from TV reports that my nephew had been shot. We still do not know who carried out the attack or why it happened," Buddhabeb's uncle Biswajit Bera said.
"Our only wish now is that he recovers and returns home safely," he added.
Buddhabeb, 25, hails from Majnaberia village in the Chandipur police station area in Purba Medinipur district.
According to family members, he mostly stays in Kolkata for work and visits home occasionally during weekends.
Besides his parents, his younger brother, sister-in-law and several relatives have also travelled to Kolkata following the incident.
Demanding strict action against the perpetrators, the uncle said, "We want the government to conduct a proper investigation and identify those directly involved in the crime. They should be given exemplary punishment so that such incidents do not happen again in West Bengal and no other family has to go through this grief."
A neighbour, Ranjana Ghorai, also sought stringent punishment for those behind the attack.
"In our neighbourhood, we call him Sona. We want exemplary punishment for the people responsible for this incident," she said.
Rath's family members have demanded life imprisonment for the accused, while Adhikari has called for capital punishment for those involved in the killing.
