The toll due to floods in Andhra Pradesh rose to 31, PTI reported on Sunday. Hundreds of vehicles and passengers were left stranded and several trains have been cancelled.
More than 50 people have been reported as missing, according to The Times of India.
The state has been receiving heavy rain under the influence of depressions over the Bay of Bengal. Chittoor, Nellore, Kadapa and Anantapur have been battling flash floods over the last three days as rivers overflowed after heavy rain.
The Indian Air Force, the National and State Disaster Response Force and the police are carrying out rescue operations in the flood-battered state. A video from Andhra Pradesh showed an air force team rescue people caught in turbulent waters.
A constable died in Nellore district while rescuing people stranded in the floods.
At least 18 people died in Kadapa district alone. Crops on hundreds of acres of farmlands have been destroyed, cattle washed away and several houses in villages damaged due to the flash floods.
The Chennai-Kolkata National Highway-16 has been shut down in Nellore, leaving several passengers and vehicles stranded. The State Disaster Management Authority said over 2 lakh cusecs of floodwater flowed out of the Somasila reservoir in Nellore, leading to a breach of the National Highway-16 at Kovuru town.
The Railways has said it had to cancel over 100 trains as floodwaters damaged the tracks at Padugupadu near Nellore. Twenty-nine trains have been diverted.
Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government has decided to distribute essential commodities such as rice, dal, onions, edible oil and potatoes to families in Chittoor, Nellore, Kadapa and Anantapur districts free of cost, reported India Today.
According to information provided by the Andhra Pradesh government on Saturday, more than 20,000 people had been moved to relief camps. The heavy rain damaged over 1,500 houses and caused crop losses.
Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy directed officials in flood-hit areas to provide Rs 2,000 each to affected families and ensure that they get food and water, The Times of India reported. He also instructed them to prevent the spread of diseases.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged the workers of his party to help with relief and rescue operations in Andhra Pradesh. “Floods have been causing serious damage in Andhra Pradesh,” Gandhi tweeted. “My condolence to those who have lost loved ones.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken to Reddy on Friday and assured him that Andhra Pradesh will get all possible help from the Centre.
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