Rains, flood bring south TN to its knees; 3 dead

Chennai/Kanyakumari: Intense rainfall and very heavy inundation, unseen in recent times, overwhelmed four southern districts of Tamil Nadu even as Chief Minister M K Stalin arrived in Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss relief initiatives.

People marooned in residential colonies we revacuated by authorities and were housed in relief centres, such as neighbourhood schools and marriage halls and over 7,000 people are housed in such facilities.

Three persons were killed in rain-related incidents and three more are feared dead. Paddy fields, roads and bridges were submerged and many residential colonies came under sheets of water as heavy rains wreaked havoc in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Tenkasi districts.

Electricity supply was halted in advance due to rains. Mobile phone connectivity was hit in several regions and public transportation was completely affected, severely disrupting normalcy.

Road link was cut-off in several regions of southern Tamil Nadu following breaches in lakes and flooding. The storage in major dams and reservoirs in southern Tamil Nadu ranged between 80 and 100 per cent.

Approximately 800 passengers in an express train were stranded in Thoothukudi district. An NDRF team has been 'held up en route' due to heavy flooding, Southern Railway said adding it has accommodated passengers in the train coaches. (PTI)