Rain fury claims 10 lives in Andhra Pradesh; multiple districts flooded

PTC News Desk: Heavy rainfall has wreaked havoc across Vijayawada and Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, leading to severe flooding and disrupting daily life. The downpour, driven by a depression in the Bay of Bengal, began affecting the region early Sunday morning after making landfall at Kalingapatnam.

Since Saturday, the relentless rain has caused significant damage, with ten lives lost in various rain-related incidents. Five of these fatalities occurred due to a landslide in Moghalrajpuram, Vijayawada, where four others were also injured.

#WATCH | Andhra Pradesh: Several houses and cars inundate in the Rama Krishna Puram area of Vijayawada.

Police and NDRF teams are rescuing the affected people and relocating them to rehabilitation centres. pic.twitter.com/Uc9bRz6qPB

— ANI (@ANI) September 1, 2024

The heavy rains have led to the inundation of low-lying areas in Krishna and Guntur districts. Overflowing tanks and lakes contributed to widespread flooding, and although the rain subsided on Sunday, many residential areas remain submerged. Residents have reported sleepless nights, loss of belongings, and a lack of basic necessities such as food and water due to delayed assistance from authorities.

#WATCH | Mahabubabad, Telangana | A railway track between Kesamudram and Mahabubabad was inundated due to continuous heavy rainfall.

All trains from Vijayawada to Warangal, Warangal to Vijayawada, and Delhi to Vijayawada have been put on hold because of this.

(Source: Krishna,… pic.twitter.com/PK9c9ORMfl

— ANI (@ANI) September 1, 2024

Major roads in Vijayawada, Amaravati, Mangalagiri, Guntur, Eluru, and other areas are still underwater, severely affecting vehicular traffic and daily activities. Vijayawada has experienced its highest rainfall in two decades, with roads covered in three to four feet of water, bringing the city to a standstill. Mangalagiri recorded 278.5 mm of rainfall on Saturday, according to the Andhra Pradesh State Development Planning Society.

In response to the crisis, Minister for Municipal Administration P. Narayana, Vijayawada MP Kesneni Chinni, and local MLA Gadde Rammohan Rao visited the affected areas in Moghalrajpuram to oversee rescue operations. The government has announced compensation of ₹5 lakh to the families of those who died in the disaster.

The depression that struck Kalingapatnam early Sunday is now centered around 90 km from Visakhapatnam and 120 km from Kalingapatnam and Malkangiri. The weather system is expected to weaken into a low-pressure area.

The Meteorological (MeT) Office has forecast moderate to heavy rain in isolated areas of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram Manyam, Alluri Sitharamaraju, Kakinada, and Nandyal districts. Eluru, Krishna, NTR, Bapatla, Palnadu, and Kurnool districts are also likely to experience moderate to heavy rainfall. Light to moderate rain is expected in Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, East Godavari, and West Godavari districts.

Also Read: Telangana rains: Red alert Issued for Hyderabad; schools and colleges closed | Key Points