Following the heavy rains caused by cyclone Fengal, a landslide in Chidambaram Nagar in the Tiruvannamalai district buried several houses under debris.
Published Dec 02, 2024 | 9:25 AM ⚊ Updated Dec 02, 2024 | 1:22 PM
NDRF teams at the landslide site.
A 43-year-old man, Arumugam, tragically lost his life when a wall collapsed at his home in the Nondimedu area of Ooty in Tamil Nadu following persistent rainfall.
The incident occurred during the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, 2 December, following the heavy rainfall triggered by the landfall of cyclone Fengal.
On the same night, a landslide in Chidambaram Nagar in the Tiruvannamalai district buried several houses and seven people are reportedly trapped under the debris. An approximately 40-ton rock reportedly slid and fell on these houses.
Officials said over 50 mud houses in the Nondimedu area are at risk due to the ongoing rain, and the district administration, under Sub-Collector Satheesh, is coordinating evacuation efforts.
Efforts are currently underway to relocate residents from the affected area to relief camps for their safety.
The continuous rainfall, which began on Sunday morning, has left areas like Ooty, Coonoor, and Kotagiri cold and disrupted normal life.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued forecasts for more heavy rain in the region.
Fire and police personnel were quick to respond to the incident, recovering the body of Arumugam and sending it for post-mortem at the Ooty Government Medical College Hospital.
The local community is in mourning, and authorities are working swiftly to ensure the safety of residents.
According to locals, there were seven people in the affected houses in Chidambaram Nagar. The house where the boulder fell belongs to Rajkumar.
Rajkumar (30), his wife Meena (24), their children Gautham (9) and Iniya (7), along with neighbourhood children Ramya (7), Vinodhini (8), and Maha (8) are missing and suspected to be trapped under the debris.
Since all seven individuals are unaccounted for, their current status remains unknown. It is reported that Rajkumar had spoken to someone on his mobile phone just before the landslide, but the phone has been switched off since the incident.
Police and local officials have arrived at the site and are inspecting the area. Rescue teams are engaged in recovery operations, but the process is hindered by the massive boulder that needs to be removed before the rescue can proceed.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are on the site, and efforts are underway to rescue the trapped people. The district has been experiencing continuous heavy rainfall for the past two days, leading to waterlogging in several residential areas.
Upon receiving this information, senior officials, including Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Davidson Devasirvatham, District Collector Bhaskara Pandian, and NDRF Inspector Arun Kumar Saigan, along with a 30-member rescue team, conducted a site inspection on the Annamalai Hills.
The district collector has confirmed that residents in the foothill area have been evacuated to safety.
Rescue efforts were delayed last night due to ongoing rains and darkness. Officials used sniffer dogs and held discussions late into the night to strategize the rescue operations.
Early this morning, the NDRF team resumed their efforts to rescue those trapped under the debris.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
