More than 70 people have been killed as incessant rains continue to batter the southern Indian city of Chennai, media reports say, according to BBC News.

Most of the main streets are waterlogged, bringing the city to a standstill. Many offices, schools and colleges have been shut due to rains in the past week.

The rains have also affected at least 80,000 people in northern parts of neighbouring Sri Lanka.

A depression formed in the Bay of Bengal has triggered rains in coastal areas of India's Tamil Nadu state and Sri Lanka.

Government officials said around 10,000 people had been evacuated from their homes in Chennai, the Reuters news agency said.

The National Disaster Response Force and the army are also helping in ongoing rescue work.