The Greater Chennai Police said that five people died in rain-related incidents on Monday, December 4, amidst heavy rains and floods. While two of them died due to electrocution, one person died after a tree collapsed on him, the police said. The victims identified were Padmanaban (50), Ganesan (70), and Murugan (35), and the bodies of the two others are yet to be identified.
Both Padmanaban and Ganesan died of electrocution. Padmanaban was a native of Dindigul, and was found dead at the Loan Square Road, the police said. Similarly, Ganesan, a resident of Thuraipakkam, died was electrocuted walking on the road near his house. Murugan, a resident of Besant Nagar died after a tree collapsed on him.
Of the two unidentified bodies, that of a 70-year-old man was found near the Vaidyanathan flyover. Another body of a woman of 60 years was found at the Foreshore Estate Bus Depot. The dead bodies were sent for autopsy.
Chennai has been receiving heavy rainfall since Sunday evening under the impact of cyclone Michaung. Several parts of the city have been inundated due to the rains.
The GCP’s District Disaster Response Team (DDRTs) rescued nearly 300 people from several areas affected by the flood, including a newborn baby and a mother being rescued from Saaligramam. In the Mylapore police limit, 225 people from Ganesapuram, Slaterpuram, and Shanmuga Street were rescued, the police said in a press note.
The police added that they have closed several flooded subways which include: the Ganesapuram Subway, Gengureddy Subway, Sembium (Perambur) Subway, Villivakkam Subway, Duraisamy Subway, Madley Subway, Rangarajapuram Subway, Mount, Thillai Ganga Nagar subway, Saidapet- Aranganathan subway, Pazhavanthangal subway, CB road subway, Vyasarpadi subway, Thiruvotriyur, Manickam Nagar subway, RBI Subway, Koyambedu, New Bridge subway, Harrington Road subway, Choolaimedu, Loyola Subway.
The police have also removed 37 trees that had collapsed and blocked roads.
Several parts of Chennai received more than 20 cm of rainfall in the last 24 hours after being hit by Cyclone Michaung. As of 12:30 pm on December 4, Cyclone Michaung has intensified as a severe cyclonic storm and is 90 km northeast of the Chennai coast. It is expected to move along north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh before making landfall between Nellore and Machilipatnam at 11:30 am on December 5.
Verified helpline numbers:
Chennai corporation (tree fall/waterlogging) -1913
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Metro water and sewage - 044 4567 or 1916
Snake rescue - 044 2220 0335
LPG gas leakage - 1906
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Blue cross (animal rescue) - bit.ly/bluecross-help
Chennai Cares (on X) - @ChennaiCares
Ambulance - 108
Police - 100
Traffic police - 103
Childline - 1098
Women’s helpline -181