Heavy rain kills five in Andhra Pradesh

Heavy rains continued to lash many parts of the state on Friday, claiming five lives and throwing the normal life out of gear.

Parts of coastal Andhra and Telangana regions were receiving incessant rains for the second day, leading to rivulets, streams and tanks overflowing, inundating low-lying areas, affecting road transport, and disrupting electricity supply and communication.

With the met department forecasting more rains under the impact of low pressure area over the next two days, the state government has alerted district authorities.

Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Raghuveera Reddy told reporters here that officials were directed to remain alert and evacuate people from low-lying areas, wherever necessary.

Five people were killed in different rain-related incidents. In Hyderabad, where the normal life was affected due to rains for the second day, one woman was killed when a house collapsed in Mangalhat area.

Two peeople were washed away when flood water from a channel overflowed onto the Kataram-Mahamutharam road in Karimnagar district. A woman died in wall collapse in Adilabad district while another person died of electrocution in Nalgonda district.

Several low-lying areas in Hyderabad were inundated due to heavy downpour since Thursday. According to met officials, the state capital received 10 cm rainfall till Friday morning.

The showers flooded roads in Hyderabad and its twin city of Secunderabad, throwing the traffic out of gear. Electricity supply was also disrupted in many parts of the twin cities.

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, who is in New Delhi, reviewed the situation over phone with the top officials. He directed them to closely monitor the situation and evacuate people from low lying areas, if necessary.

Raghuveera Reddy said 110 low-lying areas were identified in Hyderabad.
Officials said 9 to 11 cm rainfall was recorded in Telangana districts of Medak, Nalgonda, Warangal, Khammam and Hyderabad.

In Adilabad district, 25 villages were cut off due to overflowing Gorrapalli stream in Vemanapalli 'mandal'.
Some villages in Khammam district were also marooned. With the heavy inflows, the level of Godavari River at Bhadrachalam in Khammam district rose to 24.4 feet.

Officials said 50,000 cusecs water was let into sea from Cotton Barrage across Godavari near Dawaleswaram.
Heavy rains affected coal production in some mines of the state-owned Singareni Collieries in Karimnagar and Khammam districts. Production of 100,000 tonnes of coal was hit in Godavarikhani in Karimnagar district.