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AP flood situation 'alarming' as toll rises to 65

Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad

The death toll following heavy rain and floods in Andhra Pradesh has mounted to 65, with reports of devastation and deaths pouring in.

Agency reports, however, put the toll at 70,

Making a statement in the legislative assembly on Thursday, before it was adjourned for two days, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said that the deaths included 12 in the state capital and outskirts.

He said that the flood situation, on account of torrential rain over three days was quite alarming, with 13 districts severely affected.

The chief minister said that the assembly was being adjourned for Thursday and Friday to allow legislators to visit their constituencies to monitor the situation and oversee relief and rescue operations.

He said that five persons were missing.

The situation in Guntur, Prakasam and Kurnool districts was grim, accounting for most deaths, he said.

He said that the state received excess rainfall in the last three days, with rivers and rivulets in spate in many places. He pointed out that 16,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas.

More than 130 relief and rescue teams and 571 medical and paramedical teams have been deployed in the affected areas. He said that 53 persons stranded in buses caught in flash floods were rescued by helicopters

He said that the low pressure trough in the Bay of Bengal crossed over the Andhra coast near Kakinada on Wednesday. Under the influence of the low pressure, heavy rains have been forecast for the next 36 hours.

Besides the state capital, 12 districts in the state have been affected. He said that 292 villages were severely affected.

The chief minister said preliminary reports indicated that 500 minor irrigation tanks had been breached and paddy and other crops over 67,351 hectares had been damaged. Besides, 412 roads had also been breached. Nearly 1,440 houses were totally damaged and 1,204 houses partially damaged.

Soon after the assembly was adjourned, the chief minister toured areas in Hyderabad and Secunderabad, where many colonies were flooded.

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