By IANS
Hyderabad : At least four people were washed away in flash floods in Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore district as heavy rains Monday lashed coastal areas under the impact of a low pressure over the Bay of Bengal.
Four members of a marriage party were washed away when the bus carrying them was caught in floodwaters at Naidupeta near Nellore town, about 400 km from here.
Boats were pressed into service to rescue the passengers, who had taken shelter over top of the bus amid swirling waters. Officials said about 20 people were rescued, but four others were washed away when the bus turned upside down, throwing them into the water.
The low-pressure area has intensified and was located 120 km from Nellore. It was likely to further intensify and cross the coast between Kavali and Chennai Monday night.
Under its impact, Nellore and Prakasm districts in south coastal Andhra Pradesh were receiving heavy rainfall. The rivulets, tanks and streams were overflowing in the two districts, inundating dozens of villages.
Strong winds with a speed of 45 to 55 kmph were blowing along the coast. Warning signals were hoisted at Krishnapatnam, Nizampatnam and Machilipatnam ports. Fishermen have been warned against venturing into sea.
Several colonies in Nellore town and dozens of nearby villages were inundated due to flash floods. The authorities began evacuating people to safe places.
Nellore received 22 cm rainfall during the 24 hours to Monday afternoon. Weathermen have forecast more rains in south coastal Andhra, Chittoor and Tamil Nadu over the next two days.
The flash floods disrupted transport and communication services in Nellore and Prakasam districts. As many as 12 trains between Vijayawada and Chennai were cancelled.