Rain fury: Death toll rises to 38 in TN

Chennai, Nov 8: Two people were charred to death in a lightning strike in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu last night, taking the toll in rain-related incidents since the onset of North East monsoon, to 38.

Rains, under the influence of the North East monsoon, abated in Chennai and other northern districts, but continued to lash the southern districts, with Tirunelveli bearing the brunt of the rain fury.

A fisherman and a farm worker, working in a field in Ambasamudram, were killed when lightning struck them, reports said.

Lightning also struck at a school, but no student was injured.

The front portion of the Government boys school was damaged, the reports said.

Two days ago, four people were killed in lightning strike and wall collapsed in Kanniyakumari and Thanjavur districts. The victims included a man and his daughter at Melapalai village in Kanniyakumari.

As the monsoon continued to be vigorous in several parts of the southern districts, the Tamiraparani river in Tirunelveli district was flowing to its brim and the Papanasam and Manimutharu dams were almost full with copious inflows.

UNI