4 killed in Chennai as Cyclone Fengal makes landfall

Cyclone Fengal, which triggered heavy rains in India's northern Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, made landfall close to the Union Territory coast on Saturday, leaving four people dead in separate rain-related incidents, The New Indian Express reports. 

The cyclone triggered heavy rainfall and flooding in several parts of the city. However, no immediate reports of major damage were reported in Tamil Nadu or Puducherry.

Among the four people electrocuted, the first was a migrant worker from Uttar Pradesh named Chandan. He was electrocuted when he accidentally came in contact with a live cable at Muthialpet in North Chennai on Saturday. His body was found floating in the flood water outside an ATM booth. 

A conservancy worker named Shakthivel, 45, died after a snapped electric cable fell on him while he was working on the road at Vijaya Nagar on Saturday. 

Isaivanan, 25, a resident of Kolathur, was working as a motor pump operator to remove water from a subway in the Vyasarpadi area. He was electrocuted after coming in contact with a snapped live cable. He was rushed to a hospital where the doctors declared him dead. 

The other death was Phulaveshwar, 20, a migrant worker from Odisha. He died after he switched on the motor at the construction site at Vanagaram where he was working. 

Several hospitals and houses were also flooded in Chennai. Schools and colleges in several districts in Tamil Nadu have been shut and hundreds of people moved inland to storm shelters due to the cyclone. In the neighbouring union territory Puducherry, people living in low-lying areas were evacuated and the administration sent SMS alerts cautioning residents to brace for the cyclone.

Part of the Chennai airport was inundated and hundreds of passengers were impacted due to multiple flight cancellations. Operations at the airport were suspended till 4 am on Sunday.

As many as 20 flights were cancelled in Hyderabad as well which were services to and from Chennai and Tirupati. The heavy rain also impacted train services in Chennai.

Fengal skirted the coast of Sri Lanka earlier this week, killing at least 12 people including six children.