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Heavy floods led to roadside funeral for an elderly man in Kerala

The funeral took place on Ayyanaveli Road, Thiruvalla in Kerala's Pathanamthitta district

PATHANAMTHITTA, KERALA: The aftermath of water logging and heavy downpours has forced a family to conduct cremation on the road.

The body of an old man was cremated on the road after his house and compound got flooded as rivers in the Pathanamthitta district overflowed following the intense rains in the last few days.

The funeral took place on Ayyanaveli Road in Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta. A temporary funeral pyre was set up for PC Kunjumon (72) on the road after he died while undergoing treatment at a hospital.

The colony where the 72-year-old resided is close to a vast swathe of paddy fields locally known as the ‘Vengal Padasekharam’.

Kunjumon was rushed to a private medical college hospital in Thiruvalla on Thursday morning after he complained of breathlessness. He died during treatment on Saturday.

As there was no other way to bury the body, the relatives decided to cremate the body on the approach road to a bridge, half a kilometre away from the house.

On Sunday, the body was brought to Vengal in an ambulance and brought to the place where the funeral ceremony took place. After a public viewing of the bridge, cremation was done on the approach road with a gas-powered crematorium.

Meanwhile, one fisherman died and three others went missing after their boat capsized at Muthalapozhi harbour in Perumathura on Monday early in the morning.

As per sources, the fibre boat in which the four were travelling capsized at the entrance of the harbour at 4 am as they were entering the sea. Since it was pitch dark, the incident did not come to the attention of other fishermen at first.

The fishermen of the area said the sea has been rough and the unscientific manner in which the harbour was built increased the severity of accidents.

For the past nine years, there have been more than 60 incidents of fishermen drowning at Muthalapozhi and nearby seas, according to the local fishermen.

Agriculture Minister P Prasad said the revenue department has opened sufficient relief camps across the district. He was speaking to reporters after visiting various rain-affected areas in Kuttanad.

“The revenue department was directed to make arrangements to shift those affected by the flood. Food and drinking water will be provided in all camps. Around 3,754 people have sought shelter in 58 camps opened in various parts of the district. The government is prepared to face any crisis related to the flood,” he said.

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