By TCN News,
Hyderabad: The Federation of Telugu Churches (FTC) has expressed deep sentiments of solidarity and offered prayers for the families of those who lost lives and property in the devastating damage caused by the Cyclone Hudhud in north coastal Andhra Pradesh and made an appeal to contribute generously for their relief, rehabilitation and restoration of their means of livelihood.
“We make an earnest appeal on behalf of the TFC to all the members of the Churches and the people of good will to pray for the victims and affected people of the Hudhud Cyclone, and to contribute generously for their relief, rehabilitation and the restoration of their means of livelihood,” Dr Fr Anthoniraj Thumma, executive secretary, PRO and liason officer of the TFC said in a release.
A very severe cyclonic storm Hudhud struck the North Coastal Andhra Pradesh on Sunday morning, October 12, 2014, with vigour and momentum and continued to batter the coast with gales blowing at a speed reaching up to 200 km per hour and heavy rain up to 25 mm. The damage wreaked by Cyclone Hudhud was huge, as the death toll rose to 21 in Andhra Pradesh: 15 persons had died in Visakhapatnam district, five in Vizianagaram and one in Srikakulam.
“About 320 villages have been affected in 44 mandals of four districts. Every home in these districts was affected in some way or other as most residents suffered property damage, either in the form of blown way huts, collapsed houses, cracked walls or broken window panes, damaged vehicles or compound wall collapse,” the release said.
According to preliminary reports, over 7,000 houses are said to have been damaged, and thousands of acres of crops like paddy, maize, vegetables and coconut, banana and betel have been damaged have been damaged in four districts apart from 109 railway lines and roads, and 5,727 electric poles and transformers. At least 400 government buildings and public properties have also been damaged. The state government is still to receive a complete report of the loss, it said.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had visited Vizag city on Monday October 13, 2014 to oversee the operations. He made an aerial survey of the disaster area and asked for the cyclone to be declared a national calamity and sought ad hoc relief of Rs 2,000 crore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a visit to the disaster zone on Tuesday October 14, 2014 and assured appropriate support of the Central Government sanctioning Rs 1,000 crore as initial relief.