NEW DELHI, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Incessant rains continue in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday, officials said.
The non-stop rains, going on for the past two days in most of the coastal as well as hilly districts of the state, have affected normal life.
"Heavy rainfall very likely at isolated places over Tamilnadu, Puducherry and Karaikal and Lakshadweep," India's Meteorological Department (IMD) in its weather warning bulletin on Tuesday said. "Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning very likely at isolated places over Madhya Maharashtra, Kerala and Mahe, coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal and Lakshadweep."
Authorities in the state have ordered closure of all schools for the second straight day on Tuesday in the wake of the heavy rains.
The local government officials said they had taken all necessary measures to tackle the situation caused by heavy rains in the state on Sunday.
On Monday at least 17 people including 11 women and three children were killed after a 20-feet high wall collapsed on their houses at Nadur village near Mettupalayalam in Coimbatore district, about 502 km southwest of Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu.
Rescuers who retrieved the bodies from debris said the inmates were buried alive and killed on the spot.
The state's Chief Minister Edapaddi Palanisamy is scheduled to undertake a visit across the rain-affected districts.
Rains lashed many parts of Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Puducherry on Sunday, triggering waterlogging at several places including Chennai. A warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall has been put out in several towns, besides a flood alert for the people living in low lying areas.
According to IMD sea condition is very likely to be rough to very rough over southwest Arabian Sea, Lakshadweep area and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea, along and off Kerala and Karnataka coasts during the next 24 hours and over Comorin-Maldives area, Gulf of Mannar and southwest Bay of Bengal along and off south Tamilnadu coast during next six hours.
"It is very likely to become very rough to high over southwest Arabian sea and along and off Somalia coast from today evening and continue to remain rough to very rough over east-central Arabian sea and along and off Karnataka-Maharashtra-Goa coast," IMD said.
