At least 15 people have died as heavy downpour wreaked havoc in four Rayalaseema districts in Andhra Pradesh. Chittoor, Kadapa, Kurnool, and Anantapur remain the worst-affected regions. Twelve people were reported missing in Kadapa district, while the Indian Air Force, SDRF and Fire Services personnel rescued people caught in the flash floods.
Three children and a woman lost their lives after a three-storey building collapsed due to heavy rains in Anantapur on Friday night. More than four people are trapped inside the building rubble as rescue operations continue, ANI reported.
Swollen rivers caused a huge deluge in the districts, cutting off roads at some places and throwing life out of gear. In many places, roads turned into canals and swept vehicles away.
Several people are believed to have been washed away by the Cheyyeru river in Kadappa district. The river overflowed due to heavy inflow from the Annamayya irrigation project, where a bund was breached on Friday. This resulted in flash floods which inundated villages around Nandalur, Rajampet and surrounding areas, according to reports.
A total of 1,544 houses have been damaged in the state. At least 18 people are missing as well, the Andhra Pradesh government said in a statement on Saturday, the News Minute reported.
The stairway leading to Tirumala from Alipiri also suffered heavy damage due to landslips and flooding, shutting it down for pilgrims who normally trek the Hills. Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy asked the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam officials to make arrangements for free accommodation and food for the stranded pilgrims.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to CM Reddy over phone and inquired about the situation and promised all help to the state. The Chief Minister’s Office also issued a statement that Reddy would undertake an aerial survey of the flood-hit districts on Saturday.
-with PTI inputs
