At least 35 people are reported dead in a stampede at a relief
centre set up for flood victims in the southern Indian city of Madras
(Chennai).
Reports say the incident happened at a school where thousands of people had gathered to collect food coupons.
The state government in Tamil Nadu has been giving food aid to thousands evacuated since floods in October.
At least six women died in a similar stampede at a Madras relief centre in November, and dozens were injured.
Heavy rains in southern India at the end of October
killed at least 100 people in the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh
and Karnataka.
Women killed
A crowd of at least 4,000 had gathered in front of a
distribution centre in the city on Saturday night as rumours spread
that Sunday would be the last day of relief distribution.
In the early hours of Sunday, the crowd became
uncontrollable as some sought to break open the gates, the BBC's T N
Gopalan reports.
"There was a heavy downpour of rain and the crowd got
disturbed," Madras police commissioner R Nataraj told the BBC's World
Today programme.
Of the 35 crushed to death, 15 were women. The injured were removed to a government hospital.
Local people blamed lack of adequate security arrangements at the centre.
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