Flooded roads, schools closed... Cyclone Fengal wreaks havoc in Sri Lanka and India, three people die from electrocution

Fengal made landfall on Saturday in the southeastern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, causing the heaviest 24-hour rainfall in 30 years in Pondicherry, before becoming an area of low atmospheric pressure on Monday morning.

Sri Lanka, which was bypassed by the cyclone on Friday, recorded a total of 17 deaths and landslides.

Nearly 470,000 others have taken refuge in temporary shelters, according to the disaster management agency.

In India, three people were electrocuted during the typhoon's passage, KKSSR Ramachandran, Minister of Disaster Management for the state of Tamil Nadu, told reporters on Saturday evening.

He gave no further details on the cause of these deaths, saying that the damage caused by the cyclone was otherwise “minimal”.

India's disaster management agency is attempting to rescue a family of seven in the state, reportedly trapped after a landslide, local media reported on Monday.

Roads have been flooded and schools closed in parts of southern India, and the risk of flash floods persists, the meteorological services warned on Monday.

The city of Pondicherry, on India's southern coast, recorded the heaviest rainfall in 24 hours for 30 years after Fengal made landfall nearby, India's meteorological department said.