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Ten killed as heavy rains lash Andhra Pradesh

Special Correspondent

Irrigation sources, roads severely damaged

HYDERABAD: Heavy rain which lashed the State during the last 24 hours claimed 10 lives. The Government has put the authorities in several districts on alert in view of floods and forecast of more rain.

The meteorological authorities said the low pressure area which brought heavy rain was likely to intensify into a depression. They issued heavy rainfall warning for Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East and West Godavari, Khammam, Warangal and Karimnagar districts.

According to reports reaching here, four persons were killed in Kurnool district -- three in wall collapse. A 19-year-old youth was washed away in a swollen rivulet at Pathikonda. A 32-year-old person died in wall collapse in Jangaon and a woman was swept away by gushing waters in Regonda mandal in Warangal district.

Three others were washed away in floods caused by Rallavagu in Mancherial, Adilabad.

At Vijayawada, an 18 year old was killed when a compound wall caved in after boulders fell on it.

YSR cancels visit

Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy reviewed the situation at a high-level meeting and directed Revenue, municipal, medical, panchayat raj and police officials to be vigilant against possible damage and outbreak of epidemics. He asked them to take up timely rescue and relief measures in the affected areas. Dr. Reddy, who was scheduled to visit Adilabad for his "Rajiv Nagarbata" programme, cancelled it owing to inclement weather.

Dr. Reddy told the Collectors and SPs to evacuate people to safer places, deploy special teams to alert people to be cautious while crossing swollen rivulets and streams. He directed them to requisition the services of Roads and Buildings and Panchayat Raj engineers to restore breached and damaged roads and minor irrigation tanks. According to Shashank Goel, Commissioner, Disaster Management, heavy rain caused inundation of low-lying areas in several districts, including Nalgonda, Guntur and Karimnagar. As many as 254 houses were damaged in Kurnool district.

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