7 dead, 30 washed away as heavy rains trigger flash floods in Rayalaseema

Vijayawada: Around seven persons were reported killed and over 30 persons were washed away in separate incidents as incessant rainfall caused flash floods across the four districts of the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh on Friday.

Three persons, including a conductor, died after an APSRTC bus submerged in the floodwaters near Rajampet in the Kadapa district.

In another incident, over 30 persons were reportedly washed away near Rajampet mandal after a portion of the Pincha project was washed away in the floodwaters leading to high inflows in the Annamayya project on the Cheyyur river. Consequently, the gates of the Annamayya project were lifted and 1.5 lakh cusecs of water was released. Several villages, including Gundluru, Seshamambapuram, Mandapalli were submerged in the Cheyyur floodwater. Media reports said that 30 people from three villages may have been washed away. However, the police have recovered three bodies so far.

Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh where the famous Lord Venkateswara temple is located was hit by a flood of unprecedented scale on Thursday and Friday, leaving hundreds of pilgrims stranded. The heavy downpour, under the influence of a depression in the Bay of Bengal, battered the temple-town of Tirupati and many parts of Chittoor district.

The Japali Anjaneya Swamy temple in Tirumala was inundated and the idol was submerged. The two ghat roads leading to the Tirumala Hills (temple) were closed for traffic following the flood and landslides. The pedestrian stairway leading to the temple from Alipiri was also closed. The Tirupati International Airport at Renigunta was inundated forcing the authorities to stop landing of incoming aircraft.

Chief Minister Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday spoke to Chittoor district collector M. Hari Narayanan and reviewed the situation. He also asked the district administration to closely monitor the water levels and take required steps accordingly.

The depression over the Bay of Bengal crossed the coast between Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh early on Friday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said and predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

NDRF teams roped in a helicopter and successfully rescued a group of 10 persons who were stuck in the Chitravathi floodwaters in the Anantapur district.