Officials say 18 patients who were in the intensive care unit of this hospital died when a power outage affected ventilators in the hospital, after rain waters knocked out generators of the building.
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The Met department on Saturday said that the rains are likely to continue in the coastal parts of Tamil Nadu even though its intensity would be less, hinting that weakening of low pressure area in the region might bring some relief from relentless showers.
Officials said Mehrishi issued directions to intensify the efforts so that people reeling under these floods for the last few days are helped as much as it can be and are provided with essentail good items like water, milk and snacks.
A massive relief operation is underway in southern India, to try to get food and medicines to tens of thousands people hit by devastating floods in the city of Chennai.
The outflow of water from the Chembarampakkam reservoir and Poondi Lake in Tiruvallur district, which caused inundation in many South Chennai areas, is kept to the same level.
Power supply has been erratic since the city turned off electricity to prevent deaths by electrocution.
Although the rains had stopped and Chennai’s airport had partially reopened, more than half of the city was still flooded and some residents trapped on rooftops, too scared to wade through the water, officials said.
All our helplines, be it over phone, WhatsApp, Twitter or email, they are working actively and responding to the people in distress, the DG said.
Radhakrishnan, the health secretary, said Saturday that while the immediate rescue operations were tapering off, the main focus of the administration in the coming days will be to prevent the spread of communicable diseases.
“This is a concern”, he said.
“The army rescue and relief teams have been operating in areas which are the worst hit by the floods in Tambaram, Pallikaranai, Kotturpuram, Pallavaram, Velacheri, Mannipakkam, Sidco Nagar, Perungudi and also along areas adjacent to the Adyar River”, the statement said.
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Heavy rainfall and flooding during India’s rainy monsoon season claim many lives and cause property damage every year.
