Lightning claims life in Keralam; showers bring relief

Photo for representation. | Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO Amid rising temperatures and humidity, parts of Keralam experienced unexpected heavy to scattered showers on Thursday (October 1, 2026) afternoon, much to the relief of the residents.The southern and central regions of Travncore experienced moderate rainfall, whereas the northern part of Keralam did not receive much benefit from the rain. Ayyappankovil in Idukki received 70 mm of rain till 5.30 p.m. on Thursday, 51 mm of rain in Punalur and 45 mm of in Pirappancode in Thiruvananthapuram.Lightning that accompanied the rain claimed the life of Vincent, 52, a resident of Parashuvakkal in Neyyattinkara, Thiruvananthapuram. Two others, Ajesh and Dasayyan of Parashuvakkal, who were with Vincent, were also hit by lightning and were admitted to the medical college hospital with injuries. The workers were struck by lightning while working on a private plot of land in Kunnathukal.Meanwhile, another person was injured by lightning at the parking area in Ponmudi. The injured person has been identified as Sreekumaran Nair, 67, also known as Maniyan, a native of Kulachikkara and a temporary employee of the Forest department. He has been admitted to the Vithura Taluk Hospital.Light showers with thunder are likely in parts of the State for the next four days due to an upper-air cyclonic circulation over north coastal Tamil Nadu and nearby areas, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Published - October 01, 2026 08:48 pm IST