Heavy rain, flood leave 8 dead, 12 missing in Andhra Pradesh

TIL Desk/National/Hyderabad/ A heavy downpour of up to 20 cm wreaked havoc in three Rayalaseema districts and one south coastal district in Andhra Pradesh, leaving at least eight people dead on Friday. Twelve people were still reported missing in Kadapa district, while the Indian Air Force, state disaster response force and fire services personnel rescued tens of people caught in the flash floods.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy over phone and enquired about the situation and promised all help to the state. The chief minister will undertake an aerial survey of the flood-hit districts on Saturday, the CMO said in a release. Swollen rivers and rivulets 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. Though the Tirupati International Airport at Renigunta was re-opened for flight operations on Friday, the two ghat roads to Tirumala Hills remained shut. The stairway leading to Tirumala from Alipiri suffered heavy damage due to landslips and flooding, shutting it down for pilgrims who normally trek the Hills. The chief minister asked the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam officials to make arrangements for free accommodation and food for the stranded pilgrims on the Hills.