Chennai floods: Singapore to contribute to flood relief

Singapore, Dec 5: The Singapore Government will contribute $75,000 towards the Singapore Red Cross' South Asia Floods 2015 public appeal, following devastating floods in Chennai city and other parts of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

In a letter to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa on Saturday, Singapore Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan said he was saddened by the hundreds of lives lost and disrupted due to the severe flooding in South India, Channel News Asia reported.

"Like many Singaporeans, I hope that the floods will recede soon. I am confident that normalcy will return to your state in the near future under your leadership," he wrote.

Balakrishnan added that he hoped the Singapore government's contribution to the fund would be able to help those affected.

"We hope that this will be of some assistance to those affected by the floods, and demonstrate Singapore's solidarity with the people of Tamil Nadu during this difficult period," Balakrishnan added.

Chennai and its suburbs were battered by record rains for the past one month, leaving at least 325 people dead.

Unlike some areas such as Mylapore, Adyar and Annasalai where the water level has receded and electricity supply has been partially restored, people in many pockets in north Chennai continued to remain cut-off.

IANS