Madurai (TN) | Due to floods, approximately 800 train passengers were stranded at Srivaikuntam in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu, an official said on Monday.

The passengers of a Chennai bound express train from the temple town of Tiruchendur were stranded for nearly 20 hours at Srivaikuntam, which is in the worst flood-hit region.

An official said 'all efforts are on to rescue them' and NDRF authorities have also been alerted. The Tiruchendur-Chennai Egmore Express (Train No 20606) departed from Tiruchendur to Chennai at 20.25 hours on December 17.

The train was, however, stopped at Srivaikuntam railway station, about 32 km away from Tiruchendur due to heavy rain and flood situation, a railway official said here.

In total, 800 passengers are stranded and of them, approximately 500 are in the Srivaikuntam railway station and about 300 are in a nearby school, he added.

The passengers could not, however, venture outside as the entire area was heavily inundated.

Southern Railway announced traffic suspension on the Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur section, between Srivaikuntam and Seydunganallur, as the ballast has been washed away in floods and the track is 'hanging' and water is flowing over the railway tracks.