A team of Ministers deputed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to visit the rain-ravaged parts of the hilly Nilgiris district apprised the CM of the relief work being undertaken there.

Around 40 deaths were reported in the district, most of them caused by landslips, even as relief workers are reportedly searching for more missing persons.

The team of Ministers led by Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S Arumugam, besides Rural Industries Minister Pongalur Palanichamy and local MP and Union IT Minister A Raja, met Karunanidhi and updated him on the relief work and the ground situation there, an official release said.

They had toured the district early this week to take stock of the situation.

Udhagamandalam, a famous hill resort town, in the district has remained cut off from other parts after heavy rains and landslips damaged the roads while the services of Nilgiri Mountain Rail (NMR) had been cancelled till further notice.

Bearing the brunt of the North East monsoon, the district witnessed the maximum number of deaths in the state in the past week, most of them caused by landslips.

Personnel from various agencies including the Fire and Rescue Services and the state's Special Task Force (STF) are involved in rescue work in the district.