Eleven foreign and nine domestic flights from the airport were put on hold as no landing or take-off was allowed till late in the evening until last reports.
All flight operations at Chennai airport were suspended tonight as rains nearly shattered a
100-year-old record, disrupting everyday life in the Tamil Nadu capital. At least 300 to 400 people were stranded at the Chennai airport, local reports said.
Eleven foreign and nine domestic flights from the airport were put on hold as no landing or take-off was allowed till late in the evening until last reports. Officials said they might review the decision at midnight to take a call on resuming operations.
"Unfortunately the water level is still rising and there is no way to divert the water. The Adyar river is still overflowing. We are working round the clock," Deepak Shashtri the Chennai Airport Director told NDTV.
"Only if rain recedes, we can resume work. Runway is not flooded, but there is water. We don't consider operations at the moment safe. The undercarriage (of aircraft) are almost touching water level, hence they cannot operate the flights. This kind of situation is likely to continue," he said.
Flights were earlier suspended till 11:30 pm at around 8 pm amid incessant showers that submerged many parts of the city. (
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The number of people killed in rain-related incidents touched 188, as Chief Minister J Jayalalithaaa reviewed the situation and deputed ministers to inspect the affected regions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the Chief Minister and assured all possible help from the Centre.
Nearly 4,000 people living on the banks of Adyar river in Chennai were evacuated to safer zones, officials said. The river was in spate following discharge of excess water from Chembarambakkam reservoir.
As a precautionary measure, Tamil Nadu Electricity Board switched off power in the suburban areas where it is supplied through overhead cables in the wake of deaths due to electrocution.