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Meanwhile, the Superintendent of Police conveyed the matter to all the police stations through police wireless sets and in turn the local police started warning the public through loud speakers. The Revenue and Police officials have also reached the remote coastal areas, including Alappad Panchayat of Karunagapally Taluk. Subsequently, the Collector and SP together, have visited the coastal villages like Thirumullawaram, Maruthady, Sakthikulangara and Neendakara to get first hand information of the consequences of the rough sea and in the process the police officials have rescued some people affected by the Tidal wave at Maruthady coast.

Sources revealed that before 12.00 noon two tidal waves of lesser intensity have occurred in Alappad Panchayat, but not proved seriously damaging. However, between 12.00 noon and 1.00 pm, a massive and powerful tidal wave attacked Alappad Panchayat of Karunagapally Taluk and has caused loss of life and wide spread damage to the properties. In the process, the revenue officials Anandaprasad and Babu of Alappad village and the police officials, who were on duty to deliver the warning, survived the attack with injuries. However, the Tidal Wave has killed 130 people in the district (129 in Alappad alone) and injured 1475 persons. The tidal wave also caused loss of livestock like goats, cattle, hens etc. and damaged vegetation. The dead animals were buried and the area was disinfected on war footing basis in order to contain any likely outbreak of epidemic. The stagnant water in the area was flushed out in order to ensure hygienic conditions in the area.

The District Administration believes that our advanced warning to the general public through visual media, through announcements by police and revenue officials would have averted more loss of life, though not properties. The attack has also left a trail of destruction of the entire infrastructure like electric, water, road and communication links, schools, hospitals, anganwadis, shops, temples etc. in addition to damaging about 3000 houses completely and about 2500 partially.