VELLORE: Four persons, including a family of three, were washed away in flash flood in a river stream in Ambur due to heavy rains in the Naikaneri hills.
Amannullah, a beedi worker, lost his children Shanu (6) and Akber (3) and his wife Munni (25). An 18-year-old schoolboy Inaiyathullah was also killed in the incident.
According to Tirupattur subcollector Nandakumar, the incident occurred due to heavy rainfall of around 15 cm in the catchment areas of the Naikaneri hills that had drained in the stream, with some 1,500 cusecs of water gushing into the settlement of households occupying the poramboke lands on both sides of the stream.
The family living in a house with thatched roof had died because of collapse of the structure due to rains and floods, he added.
According to the locals, 219 families living on this encroachment are mostly labourers working in leather tanneries or as beedi rollers.
They have been living here for over 20 years. It is said that efforts to relocate them to other parts of the town had not been successful.
The locals said they could not possibly react immediately to the flash floods this time as they were sleeping when it hit them on Tuesday night.
In addition to this, it is said that due to rains and lightning, there was no power supply and most of them could not react immediately.
Official sources here said that around 350 of the residents of this area have been affected by the flood and they have been temporarily relocated in the town.
District collector C Rajendran along with officials who visited the spot gave away Rs 2,000, 10 kg of rice and two litres of kerosene to the displaced families as immediate relief measure.
The local unit of the DMK has also rushed relief materials to the flood victims. Widespread rains have been reported from across the district on Tuesday.
While Ambur recorded 145 mm rainfall, closely followed by 115 mm in Vaniyambadi, Vellore registered 72.6, Alangayam 65, Melalathur 24.4, Gudiyattam 22.2, Wallajah 21, Arcot 13.5 and Tirupattur 13 mm.