Traffic on NH-7 comes to halt, as bridge caves in Andhra Pradesh

Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh), Oct.3 (ANI): Traffic on National Highway-7, linking the State capital Hyderabad with Bangalore in Karnataka, came to a complete halt on Saturday after a portion of the bridge in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool district caved in following unprecedented rain floods.

Vehicular traffic on National Highway-7 came to a standstill after portion of the bridge caved in following unprecedented rains floods over the last three days.

According to reports about 25,000 people have been trapped in Kurnool, which is under the grip of worst floods in the recent times triggered by heavy rains in the neighbouring Karnataka.

Traffic was stalled as a portion of the highway running through Kurnool district caved in.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah said 30 relief camps had been opened in Kurnool to provide food and shelter to the affected people who have been rendered homeless.

Over 130 people have died and hundreds are being evacuated following the heavy rains that have lashed Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh over the past three days, officials said.

Rains have damaged crops and disrupted communications and transport links.

Police officials said most of the victims have either washed away in flood rivers or died, as their homes collapsed.

Meanwhile, authorities were shifting hundreds of people from low-lying areas to school buildings and temples on higher ground.

Officials of the Indian Air Force, which has pressed into service a couple of helicopters, said that rain and storms were hindering the rescue and relief operations.

Weather officials have attributed the heavy downpour to a depression in the Bay of Bengal. (ANI)