Rain toll 15 in Tamil Nadu

Chennai, Oct 29: The toll in rain-related incidents rose to 15 this morning with the deaths of two more people reported from the suburbs even as the weather office forecast more rainfall today.

Sources said Saju (20) was killed when he stepped on a live wire while returning home near Pallavaram past midnight last night.

A native of Ernakulam in Kerala, Saju was working with a catering firm near the airport at Meenambakkam here.

His body was taken to the Chrompet Government Hospital for a post-mortem.

In the second incident, Thenmozhi (42) lost her life when a live wire fell on the clothesline when she was hanging clothes for drying.

She was electrocuted. The incident occurred at Chitlapakkam near the city last evening.

Her body was taken to the same hospital for a post-mortem. She was a native of Kancheepuram District of Tamil Nadu and worked as a domestic help. Meanwhile, the weatherman forecast more rainfall for Chennai and suburbs with the depression in the South West Bay likely to cross near Nellore in Andhra Pradesh today.

The vigorous Northeast Monsoon coupled with the depression in the South-West Bay helped Chennai get a record rainfall of 118.2 mm on a single day yesterday.

The non-stop rainfall left several low-lying areas in the city inundated.

However, this morning the situation was slightly better in Chennai with overcast skies and sun playing hide and seek. Slight drizzle was experienced in some areas.

Many areas in the city continue to remain water-logged and the administrative machinery was on its toes fully engaged in relief operations.

UNI