In Photos: Devastating Chennai Flood, Dec. 2015

Chennai declared disaster zone, airport to remain shut till December 6, 2015. Photo by India Today.

Two days of fresh rains had caused devastating flood in the southern Indian city of Chennai (Madras).

BBC reported that at least 188 people are now known to have died in floods in Tamil Nadu state since last month.

A depression in the Bay of Bengal has triggered rains in coastal areas.

The flood waters entered the runway and tarmac areas of the Chennai Airport on Tuesday evening causing flights to and out of Chennai to be cancelled and the airport is closed.

It was reported that nearly 700 people are stranded at the airport and efforts are underway to evacuate them.

Over 50 trains have either been cancelled or diverted due to flooding of rail tracks at several places.

Please click the photos for larger images:

#Saidapet bridge in Chennai. Photo by @VidyaKrishnan

All operations at Chennai Airport have been stopped for the rest of the day,

Residents from the southern Indian city of Chennai are using social media to help those stranded in floods. Photo by Getty Image.

A depression in the Bay of Bengal has triggered rains in coastal areas. Photo by Press Trust of India.

Policemen and swimmers have also been deployed in the rescue effort. Photo by Press Trust of India.

Most of the main streets are waterlogged, bringing the city to a standstill. Photo by AFP.