13 killed in rains

Hyderabad: The incessant rains in various parts of the State continued to wreak havoc and caused the death of 13 persons on Thursday. As per preliminary reports, standing crops in an extent of 2.5 lakh hectares were inundated and some 283 houses were damaged partially.

Four persons were drowned in Prakasam district. Four persons of a family died when a wall collapsed in Hyderabad. Another died after coming in contact with a snapped electric wire in the state capital. In similar incidents, four died in Guntur, Kurnool, Vizianagaram and West Godavari districts.

Three students, P Peerabee, B Peerabi, both aged 15, and another were washed away in flood water following heavy rain in the Komarol area of Giddalur mandal in Prakasam district on Thursday. They were among the 16 students who were crossing the Kanala Vagu while enjoying a holiday declared by the college management. Thirteen were rescued.

The victims were identified by the police team near Badinenipalle village. Residents of Giddalur town are in the grip of fear. Heavy rainfall was registered at various places in the state. Sompeta in Srikakulam district registered highest rainfall of 231.8 mm on Thursday. (Kalingapatnam in the same district had the highest rainfall of 32 cm on Wednesday).

Achampet in Mahaboobnagar district had a rainfall of 204.5 mm. Naguluppulapadu and Santamaguluru in Prakasam district recorded 197.3 mm ad 191.5 mm respectively So far as house damages are concerned, about 149 houses were affected in YSR Kadapa district, 83 in West Godavari, 23 in Vizianagaram, 22 in East Godavari, 14 in Visakhapatnam and 12 in Guntur district.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Thursday reviewed the situation with Ministers, Chief Secretary and the officials concerned. He asked the officials to immediately take up relief operations and start relief camps wherever needed. The NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) teams are reaching the coastal districts for relief operations.

Minister for Revenue Raghuveera Reddy told media persons that 6,284 people were shifted to 29 relief camps so far –3,500 in Prakasam district and 2,784 in Visakhapatnam district. He said rains and water logging resulted in inundation of paddy crops in around 1.07 lakh hectares, while cotton was submerged in 1.31 lakh hectares, red-gram in 28,000 hectares and maize in 23,000 hectares.