COIMBATORE, DECEMBER 2
Incessant rainS claimed 17 lives, including two children and two more feared dead, under the debris Of a collapse compound wall in Nadur village near Mettupalayam in Coimbatore district in the wee hours of Monday.
The three tiled roofed houses were collapsed when an adjacent wet compound fell on them. Tamil Nadu Fire Service and Rescue Services personnel rescued the victims from the debris along with the local people and police personnel. It is expected that the operation will continue till the last body is retrieved under the debris. The victims were from four families living in three tiled houses.
The deceased identified by the Coimbatore Rural Police are Anandhakumar (40) and his family members Akshay and Loguram, aged 7, and Nathiya (30), Guru (45), Ramnath (20), Harisudha, Sivakami, Oviyammal, Vaideghi, Thilakavathi, Arukkani, Rukmani, Nivetha and Chinnammal.
The retrieved bodies were sent to Mettupalayam Government Hospital for post mortem.
Government announces solatium of Rs. 4 lakh
Addressing reporters after inspecting the rescue operations, District Collector K. Rajamani said that the government has announced a solatium of Rs. 4 lakh each to the kin of wall collapse victims. Mettupalayam Tahsildhar has been instructed to lodge a complaint with the police.
Rajamani assured the residents to take adequate precautionary action and relief measures in view of heavy rain.
Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan tweeted on the Coimbatore incident wherein 17 people lost their lives as three houses collapsed due to heavy rain. “We are saddened by the loss of life, livelihoods and property due to heavy rains in Tamil Nadu. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. We express our solidarity to the affected and stand ready to support them,” Pinarayi Vijayan said.
The Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services, however, said it was fully prepared to deal with any flood-related issues and announced landline phone numbers for the public. In a press release, the department said it has adequate manpower, equipment like inflatable rubber boats, long rescue ropes, other tools and vehicles to render assistance and help rescue and evacuate who are affected by floods.
There are 331 fire and rescue stations located in Tamil Nadu and in each district, 22 rescue commandos are positioned with proper equipment, the release said.
Greater Chennai Corporation Helpline
“People can contact the Fire and Rescue services at 101 at all the district headquarters, including Greater Chennai corporation areas. For Greater Chennai Corporation, the landline numbers are 044-28554309, 28554311, 28554314,28554376,” the release said.
Meanwhile, a flood alert has been issued to people living on the banks of river Bhavani as a dam built across it has overflowed in the wake of continuous rainfall in catchment areas in the hilly Nilgiris district and Mettupalayam in neighbouring Coimbatore district. The water level in the Lower Bhavani Project reservoir reached its maximum of 105 feet and the storage crossed 32 tmc feet against the maximum of 32.8 tmc ft, prompting the Public Works Department authorities to more than triple discharge from 3,500 cusecs to 11,950 cusecs on Monday morning.
Schools and colleges in Tiruvallur Thoothukudi and Ramanathapuram and schools in Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Cuddalore and Chennai are shut on Monday, according to government officials. Schools and colleges are also shut in Puducherry in view of heavy rainfall forecast in the area.
Several parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have been lashed by North East Monsoon rains in the past few days. The meteorological department predicted more showers until Tuesday.
Director of area cyclone-warning Centre, Regional Meteorological Centre, N Puviarasan told reporters that the presence of upper air circulation caused heavy to very heavy rains.
Stalin distributes relief materials
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President MK Stalin visits rain-affected areas in Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu. The party chief also distributed relief material to those affected by this year’s Northeast Monsoon.
