Tamil Nadu rains: 7 trapped after mudslide in Tiruvannamalai amid heavy rain

At least seven people are feared trapped inside a building after it collapsed due to a mudslide in Tiruvannamalai district on Sunday. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team is carrying out rescue operation in the area.

According to the Press Trust of India, a large boulder fell on huts located on the lower slopes of the famous Annamalaiyar Hill amid heavy rainfall in the region due to cyclone Fengal.

"A large boulder has fallen on the huts located on the lower slopes of the hill. It is raining heavy and rescue operations are going on," an official of the fire and rescue services told PTI.

At least five out of the total number of people trapped in the mudslide are children, reported The New Indian Express. Additionally, around 500 residents from VOC Nagar have been evacuated to safer locations.

The NDRF team began rescue operation early Monday after it was halted a day ago due to torrential rainfall. Around 30 NDRF personnel are engaged in rescue operations using hydraulic lifts.

Soon after the accident, District Collector D Baskara Pandian and Superintendent of Police M Sudhakar inspected the spot on Sunday evening. The cyclone caused severe waterlogging in many areas and raised the risk of landslides and flooding in lower-lying areas of the town, said Tiruvannamalai Collector D Baskara Pandian.

Tamil Nadu weather

Several districts in Tamil Nadu are likely to witness heavy rainfall on Monday. Heavy to very heavy rains are expected at isolated places over Nilgiris, Erode, Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Dindigul districts, according to latest IMD bulletin.

The weather forecasting agency has predicted light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms and lightning at one or two places over Tamilnadu, Puducherry and Karaikal area today. Heavy downpours are predicted at isolated places over Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Namakkal, Tiruchirapalli, Karur, Madurai and Theni districts.

"The depression (remnant of Cyclonic Storm Fengal) over the north coastal Tamil Nadu & Puducherry moved west-northwestward at a speed of 7 km/h during the past six hours and was centered at 23:30 IST on December 1, 2024, near latitude 12.2°N and longitude 79.2°E, about 40 km northwest of Villupuram, 70 km west-northwest of Puducherry, about 80 km northwest of Cuddalore, and 140 km southwest of Chennai," the IMD posted on X.