Heavy rain claims lives of two aged women as water enters their houses

Salem: Two aged women died as rainwater from Yercaud flowed through a stream and gushed into their houses located downhill in Salem district in the wee hours of Tuesday.
While residents of the huts in the locality who were woken up by the gushing waters fled their dwellings in shock, the two women, aged 80 and 78, who were fast asleep were apparently trapped.
Their bodies were found after the water receded. They were identified as Rukmaniammal, 78, living at a place called Govindagounder Thottam in Permanur, and Palaniammal of Rathinam Street in Saminathapuram.
Both were alone at their houses when the rainwater entered. The villagers told police that hip deep water had entered their houses.
Meanwhile, a flood alert has been issued to people living close to the Cauvery river as the outflow from Mettur is set to increase
Police said that over the past fortnight there was heavy rain in Yercaud hills. While lakes in the hills were overflowing and the water was gushing down through jungle streams, rainwater along the way resulted in the streams further swelling up. On Monday too, there was a heavy downpour in Yercaud resulting in the flashfloods on Tuesday night. As the water was way beyond the carrying capacity of a channel between Asthampatti to Pallapatti, the flood water entered houses along the bank.
Similarly, water overflowed from another canal and entered residential places in Peramanur, Govindagounder Thottam, Saminathapuram and Arisipalayam in the wee hours giving a jolt to the residents. Fire and rescue services personnel rushed to the places and helped drain out the water which took more than an hour.
When the water drained, villagers went into the hutments and found the two elderly women dead.
Meanwhile, a flood warning has also been given to people living close to the Cauvery in Salem as the outflow from Mettur was likely to be increased due to heavy inflow.