Cycloninc storm claims ten lives in AP, train derails

Hyderabad, Oct 30 (UNI) Ten people were killed in rain-related incidents in Andhra Pradesh today, even as a coach of the Falaknuma Express derailed, with heavy rain lashing coastal Andhra Pradesh under the influence of a cyclonic storm, which weakened into a deep depression after crossing the coast between Ongole and Bapatla.

Normal life was thrown out of gear in coastal districts as North East monsoon became vigorous under the influence of the system, which lay 25 km south west of Bapatla.

Worst-hit Guntur and Prakasam districts accounted for four deaths each followed by East and West Godavari one each, official sources said.

Over 33,000 people were evacuated to 67 relief camps in Guntur, Prakasam, Krishna, East and West Godavari Districts, they said.

The system was likely to move in a north-northwesterly direction.

As a result, heavy to very heavy rain at few places with extremely heavy rain at isolated places was likely in Prakasam, Guntur and Krishna districts of Coastal Andhra Pradesh during the next 48 hours, the Met office said. Heavy to very heavy rain at few places in the remaining districts of Coastal Andhra and Khammam, Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar of Telangana was forecast during the same period.

Meanwhile, one coach of the Howrah-Secunderabad Falaknuma Express derailed between Sirupuram and Pedakurapadu stations of South Central Railway, disrupting rail traffic. SCR cancelled eight passenger and express trains, partially cancelled another 11 and regulated nine others on Vijayawada Division because of the heavy rains.

Avanigadda recorded extremely heavy rainfall of 35 cm, followed by Repalle 28, Machilipatnam 27, Bapatla 20, Amalapuram 16, Kakinada and Narsapur 15 each, Bhimavaram, Gudivada and Tenali 12 each, Tanuku 11, Guntur, Vijayawada Airport and Kaikalur ten each, Koderu and Mangalagiri nine each, Ongole, Kandukur and Peddapuram eight each, Visakhapatnam Airport, Addanki, Eluru and Rajahmundry seven each.

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