An elderly man on a small country vessel out in Konoth river was reportedly killed in lightning that accompanied heavy downpour that lashed the city and its suburbs on Wednesday around 5.30 p.m.
The deceased was identified as Sarasan, 62, of Poothotta. He was killed just 300 metres away from his home. He was on his way back home after collecting grass for his cattle. He was a former employee of the Ernakulam General Hospital.
A team from the Thripunithura fire station fished out the body from the water as the search by local people proved futile.
The body is being kept at the Thripunithura taluk hospital and will be released to relatives after post-mortem on Thursday.
In other rain-related incidents, a few trees got uprooted in various parts of the city. Traffic through Irumpanam was disrupted for around half-an-hour after a tree near BPCL fell on to the road. Traffic was restored after firefighters from the Thripunithura station removed the tree.
Firefighters from the Club Road station were called in to remove a fallen tree at Kathrikadavu. Another tree on the Kerala Water Authority premises slanted precariously over KSEB electric lines at Ravipuram. “Fire and rescue services personnel were called in as there was the danger of the tree getting fully uprooted and falling over the powerlines posing danger to life,” said S. Sasikala, Ravipuram division councillor.
The compound wall of St. Augustine’s Church, Pazhanganad, collapsed disrupting traffic through the area.
