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             Southern India Flooding Closes Airport, Cuts off Power

   by Associated Press

   Weeks of torrential rains have forced an airport in southern India to
   close and have cut off several roads and highways, leaving tens of
   thousands of people stranded in their homes, government officials said
   Wednesday.

   Junior Home Minister Kiren Rijiju told reporters that the annual winter
   monsoon rains in Tamil Nadu state have been the heaviest the region has
   seen in decades. Army and naval rescue teams have joined several teams
   of National Disaster Response Force to help evacuate residents stranded
   in low-lying areas.

   The airport in the state capital of Chennai was closed earlier on
   Wednesday, and television channels reported that most main roads in the
   city were blocked by several feet of water and that power supplies had
   been cut.

   People could be seen wading in waist-deep water in several parts of
   Chennai. In several of the city's taller buildings, all the ground
   floor apartments have been flooded, forcing people to seek shelter with
   their neighbors.

   The state has seen heavy rains for two weeks, and while the deluge
   slowed down to a drizzle Wednesday morning, the meteorological
   department has predicted more heavy rain over the next two days.

   The rains have resulted in levels of the Adyar river, which runs
   through the city before draining into the Bay of Bengal, rising to a
   danger mark. The threat of the river overflowing its banks has led to
   fears the flooding could worsen.

   The flooding has cut off several sections of the East Coast Road, a
   major highway that connects Chennai to adjoining Pondicherry.
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/southern-india-flooding-closes-airport-cuts-off-power/3084267.html