Chennai flood toll rises to 24; Tiruvallur reports four deaths

CHENNAI: The death toll due to cyclone Michaung in Chennai rose to 24 on Friday, and while the state chief secretary declared that 99.5% of the city was free of inundation, several areas in north Chennai were under sheets of water and residents struggled without power and water supply. And even in areas where water had receded, health experts warned of the risk of serious diseases as sewage-laced water was still stagnant on the interior roads.

The toll rose by two as after more than 100 hours of effort by several agencies, the bodies of Jayaseelan, 32, and Naresh, 21, were retrieved from a 60-foot trench in Velachery after water was removed using heavy duty pumps from the Neyveli coal mines. In neighbouring Tiruvallur district, one person was electrocuted on Friday, while three drowned the previous day. The toll in Chennai and the neighbouring districts of Chengalpet, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram could rise as the floodwaters recede and more bodies are uncovered.

On Friday, as rescue and relief measures in the city continued apace, complaints poured in of flooded streets and homes without power or drinking water. Chief secretary Shiv Das Meena made a tour with senior Greater Chennai Corporation officials before declaring that 99.5% of the streets were inundation-free and only 0.04% of the transformers (seven of 18,857) were not functional. Schools and educational institutions will be ready to reopen by Monday, he said.

People in north Chennai told TOI they lived amid floating carcasses of animals and birds without basic amenities and medical attention even five days after Michaung struck. Many streets were flooded with the water level at least knee-deep. Residents said their homes were inundated too. Residents of Ennore, an area troubled by oil contamination from the nearby petroleum refinery, complained of breathing trouble and skin ailments.