Andhra Pradesh rains toll touches 17

Amaravati: At least 17 people were killed, and more than 15 others were reported missing in rain-related incidents in Kadapa and Anantapuramu districts of Andhra Pradesh since Friday.

Of the over 30 people washed away in the flash floods in Cheyyeru river in Kadapa district on Friday, 12 bodies were fished out till late Saturday evening, official sources said. Tracing the remaining persons was proving a daunting task as the river remained in spate with over two lakh cusecs of floodwater gushing, the sources said.

In Kadiri town in Anantapuramu district, a building under construction collapsed due to incessant rain and fell on an adjoining one, killing at least five persons, including two children. While four other persons came out safely from the collapsed buildings, the fate of some others is not known yet. Nehru Yuva Kendra Sanghatan Vice-Chairman Vishnuvardhan Reddy expressed grief over the tragedy and blamed illegal constructions for the incident. He demanded action against the Kadiri municipal officials responsible for this.

Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy conducted an aerial survey in Kadapa, Anantapuramu and Chittoor districts to assess the damage. He spoke to Collectors of Kadapa and Chittoor districts and obtained details about the devastation.

The Chief Minister asked the officials to conduct an enumeration of the crop losses as soon as the floodwater receded. The government announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased. SPS Nellore district is also bearing the brunt as a record flood in Penna river left many villages marooned on Saturday.

Thousands of people have been shifted to relief camps in SPS Nellore district from the flood-hit areas. Teams of NDRF and SDRF have been deployed in the districts for rescue and relief operations. South Central Railway General Manager Gajanan Mallya inspected the Nandaluru-Rajampet section where the railway track was washed away under the impact of the flood in Cheyyeru. The SCR said in a release that track restoration works were going on in full swing. The GM directed the officials to complete the restoration work on a war-footing following all standard safety norms. Meanwhile, at least 10 Express trains were cancelled on Saturday and Sunday due to flooding of the railway track in the Nellore-Padugupadu section in Vijayawada division.