30 killed as rains sink Telangana

At least 30 persons died in rain-related incidents in Telangana in the wake of the torrential rains that wreaked havoc in several parts of the State, including Hyderabad, since Tuesday. In GHMC area alone, 19 were confirmed dead while five were yet to be traced.

The government placed the entire administration on high alert and initiated relief and rescue measures across the State. Two helicopters were kept standby while boats were deployed to evacuate people stranded in low-lying areas that were inundated by floods.

Three persons, including an 11-year-old boy, were washed away in floods in Yadadri-Bhongir district. Two women met with the same fate when the passengers of a TSRTC bus, stuck in an overflowing stream between Kothagudem and Pochampally, were being rescued. The authorities could rescue over 30 persons from the bus. Two others washed away in Mashamma Vagu of Wanaparthy district, and the body of one person was fished out.

Another person met with a watery grave while trying to cross the overflowing weir of Rathoni tank in Khammam on Tuesday night, even as another 11-year-old boy died in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district.

The electricity supply was disrupted across the State with power companies reporting damages to over 200 transformers submerged in floodwaters while many electric poles uprooted and electric wires snapped in scores of locations. Several streams and canals were in spate, even as tanks started overflowing due to heavy inflows. Authorities at almost all the projects in the State lifted the gates following heavy inflows.

The incessant downpour caused major damage to standing crops such as paddy and cotton in rural areas across the State, even as floodwaters inundated low-lying areas in cities such as Greater Warangal. Colonies, including Sammaiah Nagar, BR Nagar, Amaravathi



Nagar and some other localities, were flooded by the water interrupting transportation. Coal production was halted in the Singareni mines across the State.

Road connectivity was snapped on several arterial roads, including the Hyderabad-Vijayawada National Highway. Vehicles were caught in traffic snarl for more than a kilometre on the NH 65 at Kothagudem of Pochampally mandal as floodwater was overflowing onto a bridge. Police advised people against taking any risk to cross the bridge.

The Musi water was flowing just two feet below the Tekumatla bridge in Suryapet district. Water stagnation was also reported from a rail-over-bridge at Chityal in Nalgonda district impacting the movement of the vehicles.

Due to a depression over Telangana which now lies centred over north interior Karnataka and adjoining areas of Maharashtra and Telangana, extremely heavy rain lashed at isolated places in Rangareddy, Yadadri-Bhongir and Sangareddy. Very heavy rain occurred in most places of Medchal Malkajgiri, Hyderabad, Vikarabad, Nalgonda, and Medak in the last 24 hours. Widespread rains occurred in the remaining districts of the State, disrupting transportation, connectivity and other services.

The highest rainfall of 32 cm was recorded in Singapore Township area of Medchal-Malkajgiri district while Hayatnagar witnessed 30 cm rainfall. With the pounding continuing throughout the night, people spent the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday in darkness with knee-deep water flooding the residential areas.

At many places, nalas overflowed and drainage inundated the areas. Officials pressed the Disaster Response Force and other personnel from the police, fire and other departments to rescue people stuck in submerged areas and shift them to safe shelters.