Toll mounts to 20 in AP, several trains cancelled

Hyderabad, Oct 30 (UNI) The toll in rain-related incidents today rose to 20 even as heavy rainfall under the influence of a depression in the Southwest Bay threw normal life out of gear in South Coastal Andhra and Rayalseema regions of the state for the fourth consecutive day.

Disaster Management officials said 15 people were killed in Nellore, four in Kadapa and one in Chittoor districts.

Eighteen people were rescued after a State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) bus, caught in the overflowing Yellamaraju river, near Chidwelu Mandal of Kadapa district yesterday, was recovered from the flood waters.

Four people, including two home guards, were killed in the incident.

A chopper was used to distribute food packets and rescue the people stranded in flood water in Nellore District.

The South Central Railways (SCR) has fully cancelled five express trains, including Howrah-Chennai Central Mail and Chennai Central- Lucknow Express.

Three trains were partially cancelled and two others -- Bangalore-Patna Sangamitra Express and Yesvantpur-Bhubaneswar Express -- were diverted.

Speaking to newspersons here, State Revenue Minister D Prasada Rao announced an ex-gratia of Re one lakh to the families of all victims. Jobs would be provided to one person each in the families of two home guards killed in the Kadapa District, he added.

More than 60,000 people were affected in flash floods. As many as 50,000 people were shifted to 120 relief camps in Nellore, Prakasham, Chittoor and Kadapa districts where 166 villages were affected.

Under the influence of a well-marked low pressure over West Central and adjoining South West Bay of Bengal and Coastal Andhra Pradesh, widespread rainfall with scattered heavy to very heavy showers were likely to appear over South Coastal Andhra Pradesh during the next 24 hours.

Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall was likely over the rest of the State.

UNI