By IANS,
Hyderabad : Heavy rains continued to lash parts of Andhra Pradesh for the third consecutive day Tuesday as the death toll in rain-related incidents went up to 12.
The rains, caused by a depression in the Bay of Bengal, flooded rivers and streams, inundated low-lying villages, threw normal life out of gear and damaged properties and crops in several districts.
The incessant rains, which followed a long dry spell, caused havoc in Adilabad, Warangal, Karimnagar and Khammam districts in Telangana region and the Krishna, East and West Godavari districts in coastal Andhra.
Officials said 12 people, including six children and three women, were killed, mostly due to drowning in flooded rivers or in house collapse, during the last two days.
Three children and an adult were killed when an under-construction building collapsed at Tuni in East Godavari district.
In Karimnagar district, three people, including a nine-year-old boy, were drowned in the swirling waters of the Godavari when they went for a holy dip Monday. Five people, including two children, were drowned in Adilabad district.
The heavy rains also brought vehicular traffic between Khammam and Krishna districts to a halt in the morning due to floods in Munneru Vagu, a tributary of Krishna river. The traffic between Adilabad and Karimnagar districts was also affected due to floods in a rivulet. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on either side of an overflowing bridge.
In Khammam district, Palem Vagu, a tributary of Godavari river, breached its banks inundating 10 villages and rendering 550 families homeless.
Adilabad district was the worst-hit with floods rendering 10,000 people homeless, damaging 1,000 houses and crops in over 15,000 acres. Hundreds of sheep and goats were also washed away in floods. One shepherd was drowned while trying to save sheep. Roads were cut in several areas, disrupting transport services. The electricity supply and communication services were also hit.
Meanwhile, authorities opened 60 gates of the Prakasam Barrage in Krishna district to release flood waters into the Bay of Bengal.
The weatherman has forecast more rains in Telangana and coastal Andhra.
Only a few days ago, the state was facing a drought threat due to a two-month-long dry spell and special prayers were being conducted by different communities. The farmers were worried over the unusually long dry spell, which also led to serious electricity shortage.
With the water level rising in reservoirs, the authorities hope that the electricity generation would soon return to normal.