Another landslide hit the temple town of Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu on Monday afternoon. A similar landslide on Sunday left five to seven people trapped under a fallen boulder.
The first landslide happened on Sunday at around 4:30 PM, which came as heavy rain due to Cyclone Fengal, had already triggered the mishap. Cyclone Fengal hit near Chennai on Saturday afternoon and wreaked havoc across the state due to heavy rains.
Rescue Efforts Continue In Difficult Weather
Rescue teams with experts from the Indian Institute of Technology in Chennai are working around the clock to free the people trapped, but the heavy rain and landslides make it tough for them to continue their operations. A boulder precariously perched above threatens to roll down and disrupt rescue operations.
The region is being pounded by relentless rains since Cyclone Fengal made landfall, continuing on Monday and affecting not only Tiruvannamalai but other parts of Tamil Nadu. The state is indeed dealing with the aftermath effects of unprecedented floods and severe weather conditions, with some areas of record rainfall.
Widespread Flooding Across Tamil Nadu
Tiruvannamalai is not the only district to suffer from the cyclone’s aftermath. Villupuram, located in northern Tamil Nadu, is facing historic floods, with washed-out bridges and overflowing waters cutting off access to several villages. Residential colonies have also been submerged, causing extensive damage to crops and impacting transportation.
In western Tamil Nadu, Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts have also been ravaged by record-breaking rain that has caused floods. In Krishnagiri, 50 centimeters of rain in 24 hours were recorded in Uthangarai, 42 cm in Villupuram, 33 cm in Harur in Dharmapuri, and other places like Cuddalore and Tiruvannamalai, which recorded 16 cm.
Online has seen the tragic videos of vehicles being swept away by floodwaters, large buses at Uthangirai’s bus station having been dragged off the road as a result of over 14 hours of continuous rain.
Weather Officials Warn of Continued Heavy Rainfall
The Weather Department has said that the widespread heavy rain in Tamil Nadu is due to the remnants of Cyclone Fengal, which have now morphed into a strong low-pressure system over northern Tamil Nadu. The system remains quite potent, and northern Kerala and southern Karnataka have received rainfall warnings as the cyclone’s remnants are shifting towards the Arabian Sea.
The Indian Meteorological Department predicted that the system will intensify as it moves towards the Arabian Sea, passing over northern Kerala and Karnataka by December 3. Authorities are at high alert, and further rainfall is expected in the days ahead.
Tamil Nadu and its neighboring areas remain on high alert as officials monitor the movement of the storm and continue their efforts to mitigate the damage caused by the devastating rains and landslides.
ALSO READ | Supreme Court Denies Relaxation of GRAP-4 Measures In Delhi NCR, Orders Review On December 5
