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Sunday, November 15, 2026Nov 15

Flood waters swirl in south India even as rain eases

Indian army soldiers rescue a man from flood waters in Chennai, India, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015. The heaviest rainfall in more than 100 years has devastated swathes of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, with thousands forced to leave their submerged homes and schools, offices and a regional airport shut for a second day Thursday.( R Senthil Kumar / Press Trust of India via AP)
Indian army soldiers rescue a man from flood waters in Chennai, India, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015. The heaviest rainfall in more than 100 years has devastated swathes of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, with thousands forced to leave their submerged homes and schools, offices and a regional airport shut for a second day Thursday.( R Senthil Kumar / Press Trust of India via AP)

NEW DELHI (AP) – Tens of thousands of people are crowding into government-run relief camps in southern India’s Tamil Nadu state, as floods continue to swirl despite a respite from days of relentless rains.

By late morning Friday, state capital Chennai has seen scant rain for almost 24 hours. Local residents are still complaining bitterly that their homes remain inundated and help from the government is absent.

One woman tells NDTV news channel that she was finally able to get on a rescue boat Friday, three days after the rains began to lash the city. Access to the region remains closed with the main airport still shut and rail tracks flooded.

The Indian Meteorological Department scaled down a forecast for very heavy rains but adds that more rain or thunderstorms are likely.