TIRUPATTUR: Seventeen people, including three children and six women, were rescued after being stranded near the Palar river in Tirupattur’s Vaniyambadi on Monday evening, when the water level rose suddenly due to heavy inflow.
The Thimmapet police said the group had visited a forest temple in Jyothi Nagar Palam Sethumadu, located along the Tamil Nadu–Andhra Pradesh border, when they were caught on the wrong side of the river. The devotees — 12 from Gurubhavani Kunda, four from Vellanaikkaneri in Natrampalli taluk, and one from Chinna Veppampattu in Vaniyambadi — had travelled by auto to Thagarakuppam and crossed the Palar on foot on Monday morning when the flow was low to reach the temple.
After offering prayers and taking a dip in a nearby lake, they attempted to cross back around 3.30 pm, only to find the river swelling rapidly. Panic-stricken, they called the police helpline 100 for assistance, sources said. A team from the Natrampalli fire and rescue services reached the spot and tied ropes across the river to help the stranded group cross safely.
Meanwhile, heavy rains continued in Vellore and Ranipet districts on Tuesday. The Ranipet administration has identified 40 flood-prone locations and set up temporary shelters and control rooms in all taluk offices to assist residents in case of emergencies.