As the Northeast monsoon intensified across Tamil Nadu, the regional weather office issued heavy rainfall alert to a number of districts. Chief Minister M K Stalin reviewed the situation and directed precautionary measures.
Six coaches derailed and there were no casualties and a few passengers were injured.
Under its impact, rains will start on Sunday night and gradually increase on Monday in the northern districts of Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram, S Balachandran, Director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, said.
A 24-hour control room was set up in the neighbouring district of Wayanad following the Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode
The government declared Monday (Dec 4) a public holiday and urged private companies to encourage 'work from home' option for its employees in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu districts.
The government has ordered monoclonal antibody from Indian Council of Medical Research to treat the child. It is the only available anti-viral treatment for Nipah virus infection, though it has not been clinically proven yet.
Rescue operations were on to see if there were any other charred bodies stuck in the burnt godown, police sources said.
Eleven people, including a child and four women, were killed on Sunday when a 20-foot-high compound wall adjacent to their huts collapsed in Tiruvallur district in Tamil Nadu even as Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa ordered a special investigation team probe into the Porur building crash that claimed 61 lives.
Chief Minister M K Stalin inspected several inundated areas here along with top officials including Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu and directed authorities to take swift action to drain flood water.
A woman Dalit panchayat president in the district was allegedly humiliated by the vice president, who did not allow her to sit on a chair at meetings or hoist the national flag, drawing widespread condemnation from political parties.
Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday announced a solatium of Rs three lakh each to the next of kin of those gunned down in red sander smuggling in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
Schools and colleges, closed since October 31, were shut on Saturday as well, while several universities postponed their exams.
Eleven bodies have been recovered so far as massive rescue operations continued at the building collapse site at Mugalivakkam near Porur in Chennai even as police said they have arrested five persons in connection with the tragedy.
The Tamil Nadu chief minister, who is in Pudukottai on an official visit to review anti-COVID-19 measures and development projects in the district told reporters that vaccination shall cover all sections of the society.
After a brief lull, intermittent rains lashed Chennai and its suburbs on Sunday, while the weatherman predicted more showers in Tamil Nadu over the next 48 hours.
The picture looks no better for Wednesday with the weather office forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall for Tamil Nadu.
The Met department forecast heavy to very heavy showers in north coastal Tamil Nadu till Saturday.
Educational institutions remained closed even as the weather office forecast heavy downpour in the next three days in the state, Puducherry and coastal Andhra Pradesh.
