43 killed in AP rains, thousands evacuated

Hyderabad, Aug 5: At least 43 people have been killed in rain-related incidents and 11 feared dead in Andhra Pradesh as the River Godavari flowed above the third danger level mark in the temple town of Bhadrachalam in the wake of heavy rainfall in the catchment areas in Chhattisgarh and in the state today.

Over 62,000 people were being evacuated and two helicopters pressed into service from Bangalore to drop food packets in the affected areas as the level in the river rose to 61 feet, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy told reporters here before leaving for an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas.

Even as water in Nagavalli and Vamsadara Rivers was receding with not much fresh inflows from Orissa, providing reprieve to the people of Srikakulam and Vizianagaram, the level in River Godavari was rising by one foot every hour and it was likely to touch 68 feet, Dr Reddy said. Twelve launches had been arranged to rescue marooned people.

Visakhapatnam district accounted for a maximum of 12 deaths followed by Vizianagaram (11), East Godavari and Khammam (five each), Hyderabad, Warangal and Srikakulam (three each) and Adilabad (one), he said.

Eleven people were feared trapped in debris following a landslide in a village in Vizianagaram district and efforts being made to reach the place by removing huge boulders en route.

Air services continued to remain affected from Visakhapatnam Airport for the third day today as it was still under water, Dr Reddy said.

As the intensity of rains lessened in North Coastal Andhra Pradesh, people put up in relief camps in Vizianagaram started returning home.

UNI