Tamil Nadu CM Stalin declares Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia for 7 killed in landslide

This comes after seven people including five children were trapped under the ground in a landslide in Thiruvannamalai district

As Cyclone Fengal wreaks havoc across many districts of Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister MK Stalin has announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia for the families of seven people who lost their lives in a landslide due to heavy downpour in Thiruvannamalai district.

"I express my deepest condolences and sympathy to the families of those who died in this accident and have ordered that each of the families of the deceased be provided with Rs. 5 lakhs each from the Chief Minister's General Relief Fund," Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said in a press release.

This comes after seven people including five children were trapped under the ground in a landslide in Thiruvannamalai. According to the press release, the deceased have been identified as Rajkumar and his wife Meena (27). The family was residing on 11th Street in VOC Nagar.

The incident occurred around 4:00 in the afternoon when Rajkumar came to know that a tree had fallen on his house. A huge rock rolled down from the mountain and fell on top of his house, the release read, adding that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was informed about the incident and 39 soldiers engaged in the rescue operations.

CM Stalin has said that Cyclone Fengal has wreaked unprecedented havoc across 14 districts of Tamil Nadu, affecting 1.5 crore people and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release Rs 2000 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) immediately for restoration and rehabilitation work.

He also urged the Centre to depute a central team to undertake a comprehensive assessment of damages.

He said the cyclone has inundated 2.11 lakh hectares of farmland and has damaged critical infrastructure in the state.

"Cyclone Fengal has wreaked unprecedented havoc across 14 districts of Tamil Nadu, affecting 1.5 crore people, inundating 2.11 lakh hectares of farmland, and damaging critical infrastructure. Given the magnitude of destruction, I urge Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release Rs2000 crore from the NDRF immediately to aid emergency restoration and rehabilitation efforts," Stalin posted on X.

The after effects of the cyclone are also expected to bring heavy rainfall to some districts of Tamil Nadu.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heavy rain alert for Tuesday in several parts of south India, including North interior Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.

According to the IMD, the low-pressure area is likely to emerge into the southeast and adjoining east-central Arabian Sea off the north Kerala-Karnataka coasts around December 3.