At least five persons lost their lives in Chennai as heavy rains under the impact of a cyclonic storm battered the coastal areas of northern Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh on Monday.
As per an official release, two of the victims died of electrocution while one person was killed after a tree fell on him in the upmarket Besant Nagar area. Two unidentified bodies—each of a man and women—were found in different rain affected parts of the city, it said.
Several flights and trains were cancelled as Cyclone Michaung wreacked havoc across the capital city, disrupting trees, inundating roads and throwing normal life out of gear.
The cyclonic storm, which is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast on Tuesday forenoon, loomed near Chennai and Puducherry throughout the day. The weather office has predicted heavy rains in the coastal districts on Monday night.
A man wades through a waterlogged road outside Ripon Building during heavy rain in Chennai | PTI
In Chennai, the relentless downpour brought the memories of the 2015 deluge, as residents hurried to purchase and replenish supplies, with a high demand for drinking water. Power outages and internet disruptions were reported in several parts of the city.
The Tamil Nadu government has declared a public holiday for educational institutions, government and private offices, financial institutions, and banks in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, and Chengalpattu districts on Tuesday.
Ten teams with 250 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel have been deployed for rescue operations in affected districts.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said the government was taking all necessary measures on a war-footing to provide relief in rain-affected regions.
"Relief measures are being undertaken in the affected districts, with senior ministers, along with government officials, directly monitoring the situation,” he said.
Operations at the Chennai airport were halted till 9.30 am on Tuesday as incessant rains and waterlogging affected the runway and tarmac.
As many as 70 flights arriving to and departing from the airport have been cancelled while 33 flights diverted to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru.
“Not just Chennai, even Tirupati, Visakhapatnam all these regions have issues due to weather conditions. So, there are several delays and cancellations as well. We advise passengers to check the status of their respective flights and so far, 33 flights diverted from Chennai have landed at KIA here,” an official of the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) was quoted as saying by PTI.
The Southern Railway has suspended several trains originating from Chennai Central to destinations such as Coimbatore and Mysuru, offering full refunds to affected passengers. As a result of inundation, 14 subways in the city were also closed.
