Kanyakumari: Heavy rain and thunderstorms witnessed in Kanyakumari district led to a sudden breach in the Puthanar canal near Thuckalay on Monday.

People living in the flooded area were evacuated safely, a district official said.

While the rainfall in Kanyakumari district had decreased for the past two days, on Monday afternoon, heavy rainfall accompanied by thundershowers occurred across the district, including Thuckalay, Thiruvattar, Kulasekaram, Marthandam, and Nagercoil, which led to the flooding of the canals.

As a result, there was a breach in the Puthanar canal between the Talakadu and Panapakkam areas. The rainfall flooded through the rubber plantation and inundated five houses at the Talakadu junction area and Panapakkam area in Kanyakumari district.

On getting the information, Kalkulam Tahsildar Kannan and Assistant Collector Kalasik rushed to the spot and took steps to rescue the people to safety. Firefighters immediately rushed to the spot and rescued the people to a safer place.

The release of water into the dams has been stopped for safety reasons. Due to this breach, the people going to Twin Valley Colony have been affected.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Minister Mano Thangaraj has ordered the public works department to immediately carry out the work of repairing the breach.

"The wrong news is being spread that 300-houses were submerged due to the breach of the Puthanaru canal in Talalkadu at Kanyakumari district is untrue," Kaushik, Sub Collector Padmanabhapuram, Kanyakumari district, said

"12 people who were in 3-houses near the dam were rescued. The evictions have been carried out, and the revenue officials are monitoring the residential areas. It flooded with water and inundated agricultural lands," he added.