VELLORE/RANIPET: A 12-year-old boy died after being electrocuted at his home in Vinderpettai in Ranipet’s Arakkonam. The accident occurred when a high-voltage power line passing above the house came into contact with a tree, allowing electricity to flow through the building. Despite being rushed to the Arakkonam Government Hospital, he was declared dead on arrival.
Ranipet recorded an average rainfall of 134.66 mm from 6:00 am on Saturday to 6:00 am on Sunday. Heavy rains also caused significant agricultural damage in Ranipet and Vellore districts.
In Ranipet, 427.8 hectares of farmland affecting 657 farmers were inundated, while 7.4 hectares of paddy fields belonging to 10 farmers in Vellore were submerged. Officials said crop damage assessments would begin once floodwater recede.
Meanwhile, Vellore received an average rainfall of 75.11 mm from 8:30 am on Saturday to 8:30 am on Sunday. Continuous rains since Saturday have inundated several low-lying areas in Vellore, including Kansalpet, Mullipalayam, Thideer Nagar, and the Katpadi-Vallimalai bus stop, affecting hundreds of residents. Mullipalayam residents said that rainwater mixed with sewage entered their homes, bringing frogs, snakes, and snails. They urged the district administration to construct proper stormwater drains to prevent future flooding.
Speaking to reporters, Vellore Collector V R Subbulakshmi said that efforts were underway to clear floodwater. On Sunday, she, along with District Monitoring Officer Dr K Vijay Karthikeyan, Corporation Commissioner Janaki Raveendran, and Mayor Sujatha Anandakumar, inspected flood-hit areas. Solid waste blocking the Nicholson canal, a major waterway in Vellore, was cleared. Officials reviewed the rise in water levels in the Uttara Kaveri River and ordered the relocation of residents living near its banks in Melarasampattu to safer locations. Relief camps were also set up to provide food and drinking water for those displaced.