Kochi Water tank bursts, houses flooded

In Kerala, several houses were flooded and vehicles swept away after a portion of a feeder tank of the Water Authority collapsed at Thammanam in Kochi early on Monday, officials said. The incident occurred between 2 am and 2.30 am when part of the water tank at the Kerala Water Authority(KWA) feeder pump house gave way. According to KWA officials, the tank has two chambers with a total capacity of around 1.38 crore litres.

Ernakulam MLA T J Vinod inspected the site and said multiple vehicles parked along the road were swept away by the sudden flow. “Electronic gadgets and furniture in the ground floor of the houses were damaged. The water also entered a nearby health centre, destroying medicines and equipment," he said. Vinod noted that the feeder tank, which is over five decades old, plays a key role in supplying water to Kochi city and Tripunithura. “The damaged chamber stored water meant for Kochi city," he added.

Ernakulam District Collector Priyanka G has assured that compensation will be provided to all those affected by the explosion of the water tank under the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) at Thammanam. Addressing the media at the site on Monday morning, the collector said officials would identify the cause of the collapse and assess the extent of the damage. “It was a structural failure. Many houses were flooded and several vehicles were damaged. Officials will carry out a detailed inspection at the site. A decision on compensation will be taken after the assessment,” the collector said.