Student killed in wall collapse due to heavy rain; southern TN braces for more

Madurai: Heavy rains across southern Tamil Nadu left a Class XII student dead in Sattur in Virudhunagar district, damaged several houses, temporarily cut off roads to Kodaikanal and caused check dams to overflow on Friday. Flooding also forced restrictions at popular waterfalls, while rising reservoir levels prompted warnings to riverside communities.S Muthuselvi, 17, died after a wall collapsed inside her family’s tiled-roof house at Mettamalai near Sattur in Virudhunagar district around 11pm Thursday. The family was asleep when the central wall gave way following hours of rain. Her mother, Solaiammal, suffered a leg fracture. Neighbours pulled them from the debris and took them to Sattur govt hospital, where the girl died on Friday morning.The student attended Government Higher Secondary School in Chinnakamanpatti. Her father, Selvam, a daily wage worker, escaped injury. Social welfare minister K Jegadeshwari visited the hospital on Friday, handed the family Rs4 lakh in govt relief and assured assistance to construct a new house. Police registered a case.In M Vellalapatti near Melur, roofs of five houses collapsed and four others were partly damaged, but residents escaped injury after vacating the buildings. Elsewhere, an 85-year-old woman was injured by a falling wall in Thoothukudi, three houses were damaged near Kayathar, and a farmer’s house was destroyed at Kovilankulam in Ramanathapuram district.Meanwhile, floodwater near Shenbaganur disrupted access to Kodaikanal, leaving tourist cars and buses stranded for nearly two hours on Friday. Dindigul collector advised tourists against travelling to Kodaikanal due to landslides, fallen trees and flooding along access roads. Tourists were also barred from bathing at Kumbakkarai in Theni, Thiruparappu in Kanniyakumari and major Courtallam waterfalls in Tenkasi, where swollen streams made entry unsafe.In Theni, where Thekkady recorded 7.5cm of rain, the Anaipillaiyar check dam near Bodi overflowed, while Sothuparai reservoir reached its full level of 126.28 feet, releasing excess water into the Varaha river. Vaigai and Mullaperiyar reservoirs rose to 46.52 feet and 119.75 feet, respectively, prompting authorities to warn people against entering swollen rivers or crossing flooded stretches.The weather department issued a red alert for extremely heavy rain in the hill areas of Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari on Friday. Very heavy rain is forecast there and in Theni on Saturday, with Madurai and neighbouring districts facing further downpours on Sunday. In rainfall recorded up to Friday morning, Sattur led southern Tamil Nadu with 14.3cm, followed by Kalligudi in Madurai with 10.85cm and Kodaikanal Boat Club with nearly 10cm.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Madurai | Silver Rate in Madurai | Bank Holidays in Madurai | Public Holidays in Madurai | Madurai AQI | Weather in Madurai | Petrol Price in Madurai | Diesel Price in Madurai | CNG Price in Madurai | LPG Price in MaduraiStay updated with the latest Madurai news. Download the TOI App.