Toll mounts to 19, many feared killed in landslide

Hyderabad, Aug 4 (UNI) At least 19 people were killed in rain-related incidents and scores feared dead in landslide and flash floods as heavy rains under the influence of a depression, continued to lash coastal Andhra Pradesh, throwing normal life out of gear in the region.

Air traffic from and to the eastern port city of Visakhapatnam continued to remain disrupted for the second day today with rain water entering the runway and terminal building of the airport.

Seven people were killed and two injured in Araku valley in Visakhapatnam distrct as soil caved in, even as Nagavalli and Vamsadara rivers were in spate, inundating more than 600 villages and disrupting road traffic in the region, including on the arterial Kolkata-Chennai National Highway, Disaster Management Commissioner Debabrata Kanta told UNI.

Three people were killed in wall collapse and other rain-related incidents in Visakhapatnam district, while East Godavari, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts so far reported five, three and one death respectively, he added.

Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy reviewed the situation from here and directed the administrative machinery to undertake rescue and relief operations on a war-footing in the affected areas. He announced an ex gratia of Rs 50,000 to the next of kin of the deceased.

In Vijayawada, boulders fell from the Indirakeeladri hill, the abode of goddess Kanakadurga, on the Ghat road forcing authorities to suspend road traffic as a large number of devotees thronged the temple on the auspicious ''Sravana Sukravaram'' UNI SM ROY LL DS1405