LIVE Chennai floods: Rains to continue for 72 hours, next 48 hours ‘critical’, says IMD
Breaking the record of 108.8cm in 1918, the Met office registered 119.73cm rain in Tamil Nadu till November 30. However, the record of maximum rainfall in a single day, 45cm in 24 hours, hasn’t shattered ye
The rains in Chennai have virtually broken a 100-year record with one day's rainfall covering a month's average.
By: Express Web Desk | Chennai |
Updated: December 2, 2015 5:03 pm
Patients being shifted from a flooded hospital after heavy rains in Chennai. (Source: PTI)
Non-stop torrential rains since Monday night pounded several parts of
Chennai and its suburbs and Puducherry triggering a deluge completely
disrupting normal life as army and navy were deployed tonight in two
suburban areas to undertake rescue on a war footing.The rains that have virtually broken a 100-year-old record with one day’s rainfall covering a month’s average also flooded areas in Vadapalani, Valasaravakkam and Nandamvakkam as nearby lakes overflowed into the city.
Scroll down for details of diverted trains and emergency helpline numbers.
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Adding to the woes, Chennai city and neighbouring districts braced for more rains as the Met deparment predicted heavy to very heavy rains in the next four days.
LIVE UPDATES:
4:40 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi took stock of the flood situation in Tamil Nadu and discussed it with his cabinet colleagues, including the Home and Finance Ministers.
“I want to inform the House that today morning the Prime Minister met the Home Minister, Finance Minister and myself discussed the flood conditions in Tamil Nadu. We exchanged information on the situation,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said in the Lok Sabha.
4:33 pm: Rains to continue for next 72 hours in Chennai but next 48 hours are very critical as heavy rainfall is expected: IMD.
4:00 pm: As many as 3,500 people, including 1,500 passengers, were stranded this morning at the Chennai international airport, which has been closed for operations till next morning following flooding of the runway.
Airports Authority of India (AAI) said all the stranded passengers are being moved out of the airport, but did not reveal the exact number of those evacuated so far.
3:30 pm: Three army rescue columns reach out to people affected by floods in Chennai.
Army column was able to rescue about 15 trapped civilians in a bus affected by flood waters. The rescue teams have today succeeded in rescuing and bringing over 50 marooned civilians to safety in Gudvancheri and Mudichur.
The fourth column is being rushed in from Bangalore by road.
A view of waterlogged railway track in Chennai. (Source: PTI)