IMD issues red alert for Tamil Nadu, 500 passengers stuck at Tuticorin Railway Station

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall over Tamil Nadu and Kerala during the next 2-3 days. As per IMD Chennai, heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at one or two places over Toothukudi, Ramanathapuram, Pudukkottai, and Sivaganga districts of Tamil Nadu while heavy rain is likely to occur at one or two places over Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Madurai, Mayiladuthurai, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar districts of Tamil Nadu and Karaikal area.As heavy rains continue to lash several Tamil Nadu districts, Southern Railways has issued a list of train services that have been fully cancelled, partially suspended or diverted. The Railways said the changes were made in train services due to waterlogging in Tirunelveli Yard.

Around 500 passengers were stuck at a Tamil Nadu railway station after heavy rain battered the southern parts of the state. The passengers are stuck at Srivaikuntam in Tuticorin district. The station is surrounded by water on all sides and the trains can't move as the tracks are damaged. Due to soil erosion, the ballast over which railway tracks were fixed was washed away in Srivaikuntam and iron tracks with only supporting cement slabs were seen dangling precariously.The rescue work has been suspended as the road to the station has been cut off. The train was going from Thiruchendur to Chennai.

Two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams comprising 50 members each have rushed to Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts, while three State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been deployed in Kanyakumari district. Additional boats have been mobilised for regions such as Thoothukudi and the nearby towns of Srivaikundam and Kayalpattinam. As many as 7,300 people were evacuated and housed in 84 relief camps. Through the Common Alert Protocol, SMS alerts were sent to 62 lakh people. Tuticorin-bound flights have been diverted or cancelled. Seventeen trains including the Vande Bharat train to and from Tirunelveli have been partially or fully cancelled. Moreover, water has entered numerous residences in low-lying areas, and certain hospital premises have also been flooded. Submerged roads have left vehicles stranded due to the extensive waterlogging. The water level surged beyond 4 feet at Ozhuginacheri in Kanyakumari district, submerging paddy fields due to the overflow of the Pazahayaru River. Additionally, a link road leading to Madurai near Ottapidaram has been entirely severed due to the flooding. Continuous heavy rainfall has severely affected railway operations, leading to the submersion of rail tracks in floodwater. This inundation has also resulted in the washing away of 'the ballast,' disrupting normal train services.