Vishwanathan Anand's family throws open house for flood-hit

CHENNAI: As several celebrities pitched in for relief and rescue in rain-battered Chennai, the family of chess ace Vishwanathan Anand threw open the doors of its house here to some affected people of nearby slums, providing them accommodation, food and clothes.

"This is a normal gesture. What we did is just small. There are many people who have done more than what we have done," Anand's wife Aruna told PTI.

The family accommodated about 13-14 people living in slums near RA Puram where their house is located, after water entered their homes, she said.

"We just gave them food, blankets, bedsheets as most of them are kids. This is a normal gesture. What we did is just small," she said.

Asked how long the children and others were staying in the house, she said, "I think they were here for couple of days. Now with water level receding they have left for their respective homes," she said.

With Chennai pounded by rains and several areas being inundated, actors like Vishal and Siddharth have also involved themselves in relief operations.