People with their children wade through flood waters in Chennai (Photo: PTI)

Chennai: Around 18 patients died on Friday at the MIOT hospital in Chennai due to failure of power and oxygen cylinders. According to a police report, the ICU patients were on ventilator when they passed away this morning.

MIOT hospital, located on the banks of Adyar river, was already flooded due to the rains. The bodies have been shifted to Royapettah government hospital.

Reports quoted state health secretary, J Radhakrishnan, saying that all of whom who died at the MIOT hospital were ‘highly critical’ and all other patients from MIOT have been evacuated.

Radhakrishnan said MIOT Hospital was treating 575 patients when floods started; 75 critical patients were on ventilator.

He further said 57 were shifted to different hospitals, 18 patients died. Reason of death unclear and investigation is underway.

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A relatively dry spell in Chennai and its neighbourhood brought relief to the flood affected residents and rescue agencies as hopes of water fast receding went up.

Mobile phone services, which had taken a severe beating following the heavy downpour on Tuesday, were partially restored even as other services such as ATMs continued to remain shut.

After a day-long dry spell on Thursday, some areas in and around the city including Kodambakkam, T Nagar and Tambaram received showers in the night but Friday morning saw some bright skies with people out on the streets.

The break in rains resulted in a sharp fall in the discharge of waters from Chembarapakkam, Pondi and Puzhal lakes leading to reduction in the water levels of the two rivers that criss-cross the city.

Though the water was receding in many parts of the city the misery of citizens showed little let up as power remained suspended in many areas as a precautionary measure, officials said.