DMK announces week long mourning

: DMK tonight announced a seven day mourning for its departed party chief M Karunanidhi and said party flags would fly at half-mast during the period.

Hailing its leader as a "historic hero" who reigned supreme as party president for half a century since July 1969 and as Chief Minister for five terms, the DMK said in a release that all party programmes and events stand postponed for a week.

Party cadres flocked to Karunanidhi's Gopalapuram residence in droves to pay homage to their leader and police had a tough time in regulating the surging crowd.

Thousands of DMK workers accompanied Karunanidhi's body as it was brought from Kauvery Hospital at Alwarpet to his residence.

Meanwhile, shops and commerical establishments in the city, including in the busy T Nagar here, downed shutters and the city wore a deserted look soon after the announcement of Karunanidhi's death.

Suburban trains and buses witnessed comparatively fewer commuters since evening.

Several schools here too had sent text and voice messages to parents asking them to take their wards home ahead of the closure of regular school working hours.