Pathanamthitta, Aug. 1 -- Extremely heavy rainfall in the hilly regions of Keralam's Pathanamthitta triggered sudden flash floods, causing the Pamba River to overflow and submerging several parts of Ranni town under waist-deep water.

A local shopkeeper said that the water level in town is likely to rise by another one-and-a-half-feet before it starts to lower again.

"The water level near our house has come down now. However, the water level in the town is likely to rise by another one-and-a-half feet before it starts receding again. We never expected this. It was around 1:30 am when we realised the situation," he told ANI.

Reflecting on past destruction and current mitigation efforts, the shopkeeper recalled losing Rs 1.5 crore in the ...