Wednesday, October 26 2005 17:21 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: The heavy rains that lashed several parts of Tamil Nadu since the onset of North-East monsoon early this month have claimed a total of 56 lives so far, including five in the last 24 hours, a senior government official said here today (Oct 26, 2005).

The deaths were mainly due to wall collapse, electrocution and other rain-related incidents, relief commissioner, R Santhanam, told sources.

Nearly 1,900 huts had been either partially or fully damaged in the rains, which started on October 1 and gathered momentum in the past one week.

Santhanam said till yesterday (Oct 25, 2005), a total of 21,500 people had been evacuated to safer places in Tiruchirappalli, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam and Villupuram districts.

"These people are being looked after by the district administration, which gave them food packets," he said.

Pointing out that the district administrative machineries had been put on 'high alert,' he said nearly 400 to 500 people in Mudalaimedu Thittu in Nagapattinam district, who were marooned after rain water entered their village, were rescued with boats and moved to safer places.

Santhanam said the average rainfall since the day before yesterday had come down, helping in the rescue and relief operations by the district administration.

The rains have also forced cancellation of several trains on the Chennai-Bangalore-Chennai route, while some other trains have been diverted via Salem and Dharmapuri, railway sources said. The Shatabdi Express trains to Bangalore and Mysore have been cancelled.