Hero dog saves Indian family in flood-hit Kerala

In this file photo taken on August 10, 2018, Indian residents look at houses destroyed by flood waters at Kannappankundu in Kozhikode, in the Indian state of Kerala on August 10, 2018. AP

A family in the flood-ravaged Indian state of Kerala narrowly escaped death after their pet dog woke them up moments before a landslide destroyed their home, local media reported Monday.

Mohanan P. and his family were sleeping at home in the mountainous Idukki district when their pet dog started barking raucously at around 3:00 am, waking the household.

“That’s when we realised something was wrong. I went out to see and we had to just rush out of the house,” Mohanan told Indian news network NDTV.

No sooner had the family rushed out when the landslide ploughed down a nearby hill and demolished their home.

The family, dog in tow, have since moved to a government-run relief camp nearby.

Flash floods triggered by the annual monsoon rains have pounded the southern tourist hotspot in the past few days, killing 39 people and leaving 100,000 more homeless so far. /ee