By IANS
Chennai : At least 13 people, including five children, were killed in building collapses following heavy rains in Tamil Nadu in 24 hours ending Sunday evening, officials said.
The met office here predicted more rains and the possibility of a cyclonic storm as a low-pressure trough in the Bay of Bengal intensified into a deep depression Sunday.
Fishermen have been advised not to venture out to sea till further notice in Tamil Nadu and the neighbouring Puducherry.
The state government has asked educational institutions to remain closed Monday, a government press release said.
Incessant downpours have resulted in landslides in the mountainous Nilgiris district, cutting off the hill station of Ooty from the rest of the state.
Rains in Coimbatore last week triggered collapses of Slum Clearance Board houses in Kottaimedu, killing 12 people, including two women.
State Local Administration Minister M.K. Stalin supervised relief operations at the seafront here.
“The Chief Minister (M. Karunanidhi) has ordered other ministers to visit all coastal areas and oversee measures to bring succour to the suffering people,” Stalin said.