Cyclone Michaung: 5 dead in Chennai, airport shut, several trains cancelled

The rainfall situation in Chennai has wrecked havoc as atleast five people were killed in several rain-related incidents in Tamil Nadu on Monday following torrential rainfall in Chennai and its neighbouring districts triggered by Cyclone Michaung. Cyclone Michaung, which is currently looming over west-central and coastal south Andhra Pradesh, has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm, leading several areas of the city to be submerged in knee-deep water and power outages since Monday morning. Cars were swept away as floodwater flowed through the streets and the airport shut down operations for the day citing severe weather. Dozens of trains connecting Chennai have been cancelled due to waterlogging after Cyclone Michaung unleashed heavy torrential rains on Tamil Nadu. At least 26 trains have been fully cancelled while two were cancelled partially. Southern Railway has announced that all passengers affected by the train cancellations will receive full refunds. The runway at the Chennai Airport has been inundated amid the incessant rainfall in the city triggered by Cyclone Michaung. Airport authorities were seen standing in knee-deep water next to an IndiGo airplane.

The airport has been closed for all operations till 11 pm today. The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru issued a travel advisory to passengers and said scheduled departures from the airport to Chennai, Tirupati and Vijayawada are experiencing delays or cancellations due to the adverse weather conditions and the temporary closure of arrival operations at the Chennai airport. The Superintendent of Police (SP) in Andhra Pradesh's Krishna district, Joshua, said preparations have been made to deploy a thousand police personnel for relief measures. "We have taken special measures so that the information system is not damaged", he added. The Chennai airport has been closed for operations till 9 am on Tuesday due to the adverse weather conditions triggered by Cyclone Michaung.