Chennai: A 42-year-old woman was killed in Mannady after a portion of a wall of her house collapsed on Chennai's wettest day of the year.
The city recorded more than 100 mm as thunderstorms lashed many parts of the city and adjoining Thiruvallur district (216 mm of rain) housing two of the city's four major reservoirs - Cholavaram abd Red Hills. The 108 mm recorded for 24 hours to 8.30 am on Thursday in Nungambakkam is the most rain the city has received on any September day this decade.
Police said the deceased, Serena Banu (42), a mother of two, died due to grievous injuries she sustained as the wall of her home collapsed even as her family was sleeping. According to the police, the incident occurred at around 4 am on Iyyappan Chetty street in Mannady.
There were four persons in the house including Serena, her mother Vasantha (60) and her two children. While they were sleeping, a portion of the wall fell on Serena's head. She suffered grievous head injuries and died on the spot.
After the accident, the rest of the family was moved to another house in the neighbourhood and are safe. Based on the information, the Esplanade Fire and Rescue Service personnel retrieved the body and sent it to the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital for post-mortem.
An investigation officer said that the house was dilapidated and its structure was very weak. The police official pointed out that the incident was unexpected but similar tragedies can be averted if residents ensure that their homes are sturdy enough to handle the approaching monsoons.
Police said the city civic body had already sent notice to the residents to vacate their house. A case has been registered investigations are underway.
Patients shifted after mishap at hospital: Patients of a private hospital at Anna Nagar were shifted to other hospitals after three electrical junction boxes in its premises collapsed leading to a power outage in the wee hours of Thursday.
Police said heavy rains led to the junction boxes to collapse, following which power supply was cut in the building. The rains led to a foot of waterlogging. A team of four firemen led by Fire and Rescue Services Officer Kalidas visited the hospital from JJ Nagar Fire Station. With the help of 108 Ambulance Service and private ambulances, at least 50 patients were shifted to three other hospitals. All of them are safe, sources said.
Vehicles charred as electric wire snaps A car and a bike parked on a roadside in Nanganallur 3rd main road caught fire in the early hours of Thursday after a high-voltage electric wire snapped and fell on them following the rain, police said.
The incident was reported to the Palavanthangal police station on Thursday morning.
“After heavy rain, due to a problem in the transformer, an electric wire connected to it snapped and fell on the vehicles parked nearby, which soon caught fire,” a police official said. Guindy Fire Service officials soon reached the spot and the fire was extinguished. There was no report of any injury or loss of life, the official said. Both the car and bike were charred in the fire, according to the official.
Madipakkam tree uprooted
The heavy rains that lashed the city and the adjoining districts of Tiruvallur and Kanchipuram from midnight uprooted a huge tree which fell over an electric transformer at Madipakkam. Many arterial roads are inundated and normal life of residents affected.
