Tamil Nadu floods claim 347 lives

Chennai, Dec 10: The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday said 347 people were killed in the rains and floods since October 1, and 17.64 lakh people were rescued and housed in relief centres.

The government also said in a statement that a total of 6,605 relief centres were opened in the state. The rains and floods also killed 3,889 cattle.

Heavy rains - the worst in a century - battered Chennai, Kanchipuram, Cuddalore and Thiruvallur districts for the past month resulting in unprecedented floods and causing widespread destruction.

Kanchipuram is located 70 km from Chennai. Thiruvallur and Cuddalore are 39 and 185 km away from here respectively.

Immediate relief amount of Rs.67.47 crore has been disbursed to 111,278 families, the statement added.

Meanwhile, the weather department has ruled out further heavy rains in Tamil Nadu but said there may be rains or thundershowers at a few places in Kanyakumari and Tuticorin districts and isolated rains in the rest of the state and Puducherry.

PMK founder S. Ramadoss, however, put the rain and flood damage in the state at around Rs.100,000 crore.

IANS