Flooding in India

The Indian military evacuated more than 2,000 residents stranded in the southern state of Tamil Nadu on Thursday as the death toll from flooding rose to 269 after the heaviest cloudburst in over a century.

Forecasts of more rain over the next 48 hours forced the army to work on a war footing to rescue survivors trapped in inundated parts of Chennai.

India's fourth most populous city saw only slight rains on Thursday, but water levels had not receded since a day earlier, when a massive release of water from a brimming reservoir swamped low-lying areas of the city.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has blamed climate change for the deluge, traveled to Chennai to get a first-hand view of a rescue effort that has so far been halting.

"The government will stand by the people of Tamil Nadu in their hour of need," Modi told reporters, promising $150 million for rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Even as the weather cleared, waters rose in many residential areas, fed by spills from 35 lakes that have risen to dangerous levels. (Reuters)

Find more news-related pictures in our photo galleries and follow us on Tumblr.