Chennai, Oct 21 (IANS): A 65-year-old woman, who was sleeping at her residence, drowned to death when water gushed into her house after heavy rains in Tamil Nadu's Erode district on Friday.

Rangammal (65) of Ashokapuri was drowned to death at 1.30 a.m. This, according to district officials was due to the flooding in the Perumpallam canal in the district and water entering around 75 houses located in low- lying areas near the canal.

The body of the deceased Rangammal was sent to the Government Hospital, at Erode for post-mortem.

Water also entered 200 houses in Rangamplaayam, Sathya Nagar, Moolapalayam, Senathipalayam and Cehittipalayam in the morning. People were shifted to relief camps set up by the district administration.

Many people complained that their household equipment were damaged as water entered their residences. Several people also complained of water entering shops leading to destruction of material including grains. Some shops selling electronic equipment including television sets, refrigerators and other appliances also complained that sudden water flow into their shops have led to these materials being damaged and demanded compensation from the district administration.

Heavy rains accompanied by thunder and lightning lashed many parts of the district leading to inundation of 275 houses in various parts of the district.