Heavy rain claims two lives in Salem

In Salem district, 146.20 mm of rainfall was recorded, including 58 mm in Yercaud

Following rain water entering into two houses, two aged women died in Salem on Tuesday.

On Monday around 10 p.m., rain poured in various parts of Salem. At Yercaud and in Salem City, heavy rain lashed for two hours, and rainwater stagnated on almost all the roads in the City.

Due to heavy rain in Yercaud, rainwater passed via the channels in Salem City. The rainwater overflowed the channels and entered the houses near the channels in ward 16 and in ward 26 of Salem Corporation in the early hours of Tuesday.

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J. Rukmani (75), of Govindagoundar Thottam in Ward 16, was staying alone in her home near the channel. In the early hours of Tuesday, water entered her house. As she was unable to move, she drowned in the five feet of water. Likewise, R. Palaniammal (80) of Dr. Rathinam Street in Ward 26 resided alone near the channel, and water entered her house, and she also drowned. On information, Pallapatti police sent the bodies to Salem Government Hospital for a postmortem.

The Salem Corporation workers came to the spot and pumped over the water in these two wards and disinfected the streets. Salem City Mayor A. Ramachandran, MLA R. Rajendran, and Commissioner T. Chirsturaj inspected these two wards on Tuesday and inquired about the people. In these two wards, more than 200 sanitation workers were deployed, and six JCB vehicles, three tipper trucks, 20 water pumping motors, three compactor vehicles, one earth mover, and three tractors were used to desilt the channel and divert water from entering houses.

In Salem district, 146.20 mm of rainfall was recorded, including 58 mm in Yercaud, 20 mm each in Gangavalli and in Veeraganur, 17 mm in Kariyakovil, 11.7 mm in Salem, 11 mm in Omalur, 5 mm in Kadayampatti, 2.1 mm in Sankagiri, and 1.4 mm in Edappadi.