Chennai Floods: 3,500 people stranded at airport, Met warns of more rain, 'next 48 hrs crucial'

3,500 people stranded at Chennai airport, Chennai International Airport closed till 6 December

Worst continuous rainstorms in 100 years, 15 teams of National Disaster Response Force in Chennai, More rain expected, next 48 hours crucial, Adyar river in spate, 35,000 cusecs discharged, TN Chief Secretary has told Centre that the state has "enough medicines, food, drinking water"

Tamil Nadu's worst and most relentless rainstorm in a 100 years is showing no signs of letting up. Life in capital Chennai ground to a complete halt as a fresh wave of rain lashed the city where 15 teams of the National Disaster Response Force have arrived. Industry lobbies are putting a Rs.15,000 crore figure on the expected financial loss as weather forecasting agencies predict heavy rain to continue for at least the next two days.

Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha chaired a meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi directed senior officers of the disaster management division to stay in constant touch with the state government to provide any assistance necessary.

Soldiers joined the rescue and relief work and more troops were on their way from Bengaluru to Chennai, the sprawling southern metropolis with over 4.6 million residents.

The unprecedented rains, the worst in 100 years, have battered Tamil Nadu's northern districts such as Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram and Cuddalore, the toll has crossed 190, it's now the stuff of international media headlines.