Ditwah havoc in Tamil Nadu; three dead, 57,000 hectares of farmland destroyed

CHENNAI: Cyclone Ditwah wreaked havoc in Tamil Nadu, killing three in the state. Two people died after a house wall collapsed on them in Thoothukudi and Thanjavur. Another youth died after being electrocuted in Mayiladuthurai.

More than 50 flights from Chennai have been cancelled. The runway of Thoothukudi airport was also waterlogged in the incessant rainfall. 57,000 hectares of crops were destroyed.

Heavy rains continue in coastal districts. Rains also battered the northern districts, including Chennai. There is a possibility of very heavy rains in Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry in the coming hours. Ditwah may weaken by the next day and will move towards the Andhra coast.

Meanwhile, the death toll in Sri Lanka reached 212. The number of missing people reached 218. Although the intensity of the rain decreased, the fear of floods remains. More than 700 houses have been destroyed.

820 deaths in Asian countries

The number of deaths in floods and landslides in four Asian countries, including Sri Lanka, has reached 820 in a week. Cyclone Senyar, which formed in the Strait of Malacca, killed 435 people in Indonesia, 170 in Thailand and three in Malaysia. 5.6 million people were affected by the disaster.

India's 'Operation Sagar Bandhu' mission in Sri Lanka continues. Chetak helicopters from INS Vikrant airlifted several people. IAF's C-130J and IL-76 aircraft are also involved in the rescue operation. 27 tonnes of relief materials have been distributed. INS Sukanya will arrive soon with more assistance. Around 400 Indians stranded at Colombo airport have been brought back.