Suspect charged after Vancouver car ramming leaves 11 dead    Suspect in killing of general claims he was paid by Ukraine    North Korea confirms troop deployment to Russia for first time    Rock & Roll Hall of Fame picks Outkast but not Oasis    400-800 year old giant coral colony discovered within AMAALA waters in the Red Sea    Makkah police arrest Yemeni and Egyptian suspects of fake Hajj campaign    Kafalah grants 1,900 loan guarantees worth over SR4.8 billion to SMEs during 1Q 2025    Council of Senior Scholars reaffirms performing Hajj without a permit is a sinful act    HR Ministry launches 'Ajeer Al-Hajj' service for seasonal work during Hajj 2025    stc reports strong first-quarter 2025 results with 11% rise in net profit    King and Crown Prince offer condolence to Iranian president over the deadly port explosion    Saudi Awwal Bank records SR2.1 billion net profit after zakat and income tax for 1Q25    Virgin Atlantic celebrates one month of nonstop service between London and Riyadh    Al Ahli cruise past Buriram into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Duran leads Al Nassr past Yokohama Marinos into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi orchestra to perform at Sydney Opera House in May    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Heavy flooding causes chaos in southern India state
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 02 - 12 - 2015

CHENNAI, India — The heaviest rainfall in over a century caused widespread flooding across the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, driving thousands of people from their homes, shutting down factories and paralyzing the airport in the state capital Chennai.
India's fourth-largest city is a major auto manufacturing and IT outsourcing hub for companies including Ford Motor, BMW AG, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services and Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.
Thousands of factories on the outskirts of the city were forced to close due to the deluge, which disrupted power supplies and swamped at least one runway at the international airport. About 25 flights were cancelled as of Wednesday morning, the national emergency operations centre said.
"We have started the rescue operation but the biggest challenge is to find a way to clear the inundated airport and main roads," said Anurag Gupta, a senior official at the National Disaster Management Authority in New Delhi.
Weather experts say the seasonal northeast monsoon was responsible for the flooding in the city of at least 6 million, which like many other parts of India lacks an adequate drainage system.
At least twice as much rain fell in the last 24 hours as the average for the whole month of December, private weather forecaster Skymet said, adding that the downpour would continue for another 24 hours.
Meteorologists had warned late last month that the remnants of Typhoon Marilyn, or In-Fa, and which had formed near the Philippines, could turn into a tropical depression and bring heavy rains to India's east coast.
RELIEF EFFORT
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered rescue teams and paramilitary forces to launch an extensive relief and rescue operation in Chennai.
He had earlier blamed climate change for the rains in the southern state, speaking after returning from a global climate conference in Paris that has drawn attention to the vulnerability of tropical countries like India to extreme weather events.
Hundreds of divers and army rescue teams entered inundated homes, taking the injured to hospitals. Authorities said more than a million people were affected by the flooding, with some residents bemoaning the slow response of the relief teams.
Ramana Goda, 56, said his family was stuck in an area where 10 feet (3 m) of water covered some roads.
"The police want to help but there are no boats. We are trying not to panic," said Goda, who took refuge at a police station after fleeing his home with his family overnight. — Reuters


Clic here to read the story from its source.