House collapse kills 17 in southern India

By Shuriah Niazi

NEW DELHI (AA) - At least 17 people were killed on Monday in a rain-related incident in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, officials said.

A portion of a 15-foot (4.5-meter) wall fell on the adjoining houses burying alive the inmates, news agency Press Trust of India said.

Efforts are ongoing in Nadur village to pull out those trapped inside, officials said, confirming the death toll.

Rescue workers with the assistance of locals have retrieved bodies from the debris, police said.

Rains have completely drenched several districts of Tamil Nadu in the last 24 hours.

Five people were killed in rain-related incidents in the state on Sunday.

Schools and colleges have been shut in affected areas.

Meanwhile, the country's weather services office has predicted heavy rainfall for the next two days in the coastal districts.