Cyclone: Death toll mounts to 23 in AP

Hyderabad, Nov 1 (UNI) The death toll in rain-related mishaps rose to 23, even as the Andhra Pradesh Government is fully engaged in rescue and relief operations in the worst-hit coastal districts.

Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, scheduled to make an aerial survey of cyclone-hit areas and interact with people, cancelled his tour in view of bad weather conditions, sources in his office said.

East Godavari district accounted for a maximum of 10 deaths, a release from the Disaster Management Commissioner said.

However, unofficial reports put the number of deaths at over 40.

Over 1.06 lakh people, including 60,000 in Krishna district, were housed in 369 relief camps as normal life continued to be hit.

As many as 2721 houses were destroyed and 5848 houses damaged, while 40,939 heads of cattle perished. Eighteen minor irrigation sources and 85 fishing boats were also damaged.

According to preliminary estimates agricultural crops in 1.09 lakh hectare and horticultural crops in 15.79 lakh hectare were damaged as also 2002 power installations of the State Transmission Corporation. Enumeration was under progress, the release added.

Vehicular traffic was disrupted in 15 places in the worst-hit Prakasam district due to overflowing water and uprooting of trees.

Sixtyfive medical and 82 veterinary teams were giving treatment.

Machilipatnam recorded heavy rainfall of 17 cm, followed by Chinnoor 12, Luxettipet, Repalle 10 each, Karimnagar 9, Huzurabad and Sircilla 8 each, Avanigadda 6, Ongole, Vijayawada Airport, Addanki, Piduguralla and Tenali 5 each.

The state received rain of 109 mm since the onset of North East Monsoon on October one against normal rain of 142.2 mm, with coastal region getting 194.6 mm, five per cent above normal. Telangana and Rayalaseema had deficit of 48 and 58 per cent respectively.

Moderate to rather heavy rain or thundershowers were likely at many places over Telangana and Coastal Andhra Pradesh as a low-level trough formed along the coast, Hyderabad Meteorological Centre Director M Satyakumar told UNI. Isolated rain or thundershowers were likely over Rayalaseema.

UNI SM AA SY ND1846