Incessant rainfall in Andhra Pradesh disrupts normal life, at least 9 killed

Normal life was disrupted as heavy rains lashed Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. At least nine people have been killed due to 12 hours of heavy rains and floods. Railways and roadways are also heavily affected due to flooding. The NDRF has been deployed for rescue and relief operations.

Trains have been canceled on Nadikudi-Guntur section, and express trains from Secunderabad, which normally pass through Guntur, have been diverted as the rail tracks near Piduguralla.

The patients from the TB hospital in Chilkalurpet had to be shifted to another place as the hospital got submerged in the flood water.
One APSRTC bus got trapped in the flood near Utukuru village in Krosur mandal. They were rescued by locals and police. People have to wade through waist –deep water at several places, while the reservoirs and tanks were overflowed.

Nakarikallu recorded an astonishing 24.1 cm rainfall; Narasaraopet recorded 22.4 cm; Medikonduru 21 cm; Bellamkonda 19.1 cm and Muppalla 18.6 cm.

Guntur collector Kantilal Dande met chief secretary SP Tucker and told him of the situation.

An Army helicopter was deployed so as to rescue bus passengers at Krosur. After a seven-hour arduous exercise, locals towed away the bus to safety with ropes.

The sudden overflowing of local streams caught many villages unawares, resulting in more than a dozen people getting washed away at various places. While locals rescued some of them, at least five people are yet to be traced.

Seeing the terrible condition, chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu put the district collectors on high alert and directed ministers Nimmakayala Chinarajappa and P Pulla Rao to rush to Narasaraopet to supervise relief operations.
(image: Indiatimes)