Andhra Pradesh floods: 23 dead, over 100 missing after heavy rain in state

In Andhra Pradesh, the toll due to heavy rain stood at 23 on Saturday evening, The New Indian Express reported.

In Anantapur district’s Kadiri town, three people died after a house that was being renovated collapsed because of the rain. Its debris fell onto the neighbouring building, trapping at least 15 people.

The police, revenue, and fire services officials recovered the bodies of two children, The New Indian Express reported.

After two hours, five more residents were rescued and admitted to a hospital for treatment. One of the five died while being treated by the doctors.

In Kadapa district, eight residents died after two state transport corporation buses got caught in flood water that gushed into the area after the Annamayya dam breached, The Hindu reported. About 20 residents were rescued from the spot after a five-hour operation.

Twelve persons are said to be missing in the Kadapa district.

The body of a person who was missing after the floods that occurred due to a breach in the dam was recovered on Saturday, The New Indian Express reported.

In the district of Chittoor, authorities retrieved the body of a woman factory worker. Three more persons were feared dead after they were caught in water that overflowed from the Balijapalle tank.

The Tirupati International Airport at Renigunta reopened for flight operations on Friday. However, the two ghat roads leading to Tirumala Hills remained shut, PTI reported.

A stairway leading to Tirumala from the Alipiri locality at the foothills suffered damage due to landslips, shutting it for pilgrims.

On Thursday, the temple town was flooded and pilgrims were stranded due to heavy rain.

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has asked the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam to arrange for free accommodation and food for pilgrims stranded on the hill.

Search and rescue efforts

In all, over 100 residents were feared to have been washed away in separate incidents in the districts of Chittoor, Kadapa, Kurnool and Anantpur, according to The Times of India. These include about 30 persons from the Mandapalli, Akepadu and Nandaluru villages in the Kadapa district.

Seven teams from the National Disaster Relief Force have been deployed for search and rescue operations. Teams from the police, revenue and fire departments are also taking part in the operations.

In the Ananthapuramu district, Indian Air Force personnel, along with the police and disaster relief teams, rescued 10 residents stranded in the Chitravati river in Veldurthi village.

The state government has set up 230 relief camps and food and water is being distributed among the affected residents, The Indian Express reported. Residents who moved into the camps are being given Rs 1,000 per person or Rs 2,000 for each family.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday, in which he promised the required assistance to the state, according to PTI.

Reddy is expected to conduct an aerial survey of the flood-affected districts on Saturday. He also spoke to collectors of the affected districts and asked them to step up relief measures.

Meanwhile, eleven passenger and express trains of the South-Central Railway were cancelled because of the floods. Five more trains were partly cancelled, 27 were diverted and one was reportedly rescheduled.

Apart from Andhra Pradesh, rain also affected life in some other states.

In Kerala, entry into Sabarimala was prohibited due to rain in Pathanamthitta district, ANI reported. Those who had booked a spot in the queue online will be given the next slot as soon as the shrine reopens.

Following heavy rain in Karnataka’s Chikkamagaluru district, water from a lake spilled into houses in Kadur Taluk, News18 reported. District Chikkamagaluru

Meanwhile, the India Metereological Department has predicted heavy rain in eight districts in Tamil Nadu along with costal and interior Karnataka for Sunday.