- Ashtamudi Lake
Infobox lake
lake_name = Ashtamudi Lake
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location =Kollam District ,Kerala
coords = coord|8|59|N|76|36|E|region:IN_type:waterbody|display=inline,title
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inflow =Kallada River
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basin_countries = India
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cities =Ashtamudi Lake ("Ashtamudi Kayal") is a
freshwater lake in theKollam District ofKerala ,India . "Ashtamudi" means 'eight branches' ("Ashta" = 'eight'; "mudi" = 'branch') in the local language ofMalayalam . This name is indicative of the lake'stopography : a lake with multiple branches.Ashtamudi Wetland was included in the list of wetlands of international importance, as defined by the
Ramsar Convention for the conservation and sustainable utilization ofwetland s. [cite web | url =http://www.ramsar.org/sitelist.pdf| title = The List of Wetlands of International Importance | accessdate = 2008-01-07 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971) Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland ]Rail accident
The "Island Express" train suffered a major accident while crossing a bridge at Perumon on July 8, 1988. A large number of its coaches fell into the lake. Scores lost their lives. [cite news |author=Associated Press |title=85 dead, 200 missing after India train derails |work=San Jose Mercury News |page=19A |date=1988-07-08 |accessdate=2007-11-19 |language= |quote=A train crossing a bridge derailed today and plunged six passenger cars into a lake and left three dangling from the overpass. Officials said 85 people died and 200 were missing. About 500 people were taken to nearby hospitals, said officials in the towns of Quilon and Trivandrum, in southern India. Hospital officials in Quilon said 75 victims were admitted there and 25 others in serious condition were rushed by ambulance to a larger hospital in Trivandrum, about 30 miles away. ] The death toll was 106. The train's operator was later declared unfit for his duties. Fact|date=November 2007 As part of line broadening later,
Indian Railways constructed a new bridge across the lake. The old bridge remains in memoriam of the tragedy.References
External links
* [http://www.wwfindia.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/freshwater_wetlands/our_work/ramsar_sites/ashtamudi_lake.cfm Ashtamudi Lake] on
World Wildlife Fund -India website
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