THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Heavy rain, accompanied by strong surface winds, caused widespread damage and claimed one more life in the state on Thursday.

Sreejith Manoj, 19, of Kurichy in Kottayam was killed when an uprooted tree collapsed on the lorry in which he was sitting in at the Tamil Nadu bus stand in Kumily. Train services on the Alappuzha-Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram-Kottayam routes were disrupted after trees fell on the tracks.

Holiday has been declared for educational institutions in nine districts — Wayanad, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kannur, Ernakulam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Kasaragod — on Friday. The IMD has issued a red alert for Idukki, Kannur and Kasaragod districts on Friday. An orange alert has been sounded for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad. As of now, 1,296 people have been shifted to 59 relief camps in the state.

Cheruvanchery in Kannur recorded the highest rainfall at 15cm, followed by Peermade in Idukki with 13 cm. Wind speeds peaked at 68.5 km/h in Palakkad and 66.6 km/h in Wayanad. A major tragedy was averted in Kasaragod, as eight electric poles were brought down by strong winds in Kizhur in the wee hours of Thursday. In Kannur, a huge tree uprooted and fell across the road on the busy Kannur- Mattannur route.

In Wayanad, 739 people were shifted to 18 relief camps. Mananthavady taluk was the worst affected. As many as 14 houses were destroyed. In Kozhikode’s Vilangad, where multiple landslides occurred last year, overflowing river has caused flash floods. Patients were evacuated from Government Ayurveda Hospital, Balussery. A total of 139 people are staying at three relief camps.

In Palakkkad district, 48 houses were damaged while 8 houses were destroyed in Thrissur. In Idukki, 62 houses were damaged while 162 persons were shifted to 10 relief camps. The torrential downpour inflicted severe damages in Kottayam where 21 houses were destroyed and 246 people shifted to 15 relief camps.