The worst-hit districts included Idukki, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta, where rescue teams were deployed to evacuate stranded residents as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of continued heavy to very heavy rainfall

The duo were travelling past the lake in an auto-rickshaw when they noticed the reptile resting on a platform near the water. They immediately got down and observed the crocodile from a safe distance, watching as it remained calm despite the movement of boats and people nearby