Tamil Nadu: Three killed in wall collapse amid heavy rainfall

Three women were killed in two separate instances of wall collapse in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday as the state recorded heavy rainfall, reported The Hindu.

Ashothai, 69, and her daughter Jaya, 40, were killed after a wall of their home in Andarmullipallam near Puduchatram in Cuddalore district collapsed at around 10 am. They were both farm labourers.

In Kongarapalayam near Kallakurichi, 60-year-old Vanamayili died after a wall of her home caved in.

This came amid torrential rainfall brought by the low-pressure area that had formed over the southwestern Bay of Bengal on Tuesday.

The India Meteorological Department issued a red alert indicating extremely heavy rainfall in Villupuram, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram districts of Tamil Nadu, and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

An orange alert for heavy rainfall was issued for Tiruvallur, Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts. A yellow alert was issued for the remaining districts.

A red alert requires the authorities to “take action” in view of an extreme weather event, while an orange alert expects the administration to “be prepared”. A yellow alert means that authorities should “be updated” on the situation.

The weather agency also said that the well-marked low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal was likely to turn into a depression over the southwestern and the adjoining west-central areas...

Read more