A heavy downpour of up to 20 cm wrecked havoc in three Rayalaseema districts and one south coastal district in Andhra Pradesh, leaving at least eight people dead on Friday.
Twelve people were still reported missing in Kadapa district, while the Indian Air Force, SDRF and Fire Services personnel rescued tens of people caught in the flash floods.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy over phone and enquired about the situation and promised all help to the state.
The Chief Minister will undertake an aerial survey of the flood-hit districts on Saturday, the CMO said in a release.
Though the Tirupati International Airport at Renigunta was re-opened for flight operations on Friday, the two ghat roads to Tirumala Hills remained shut.
At least 12 people were killed and 18 others went missing after three buses of #AndhraPradesh Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) were stuck in floods triggered by heavy rains in Kadapa district on Friday. pic.twitter.com/CteGwW7Mwz
— IANS Tweets (@ians_india) November 19, 2021
The stairway leading to Tirumala from Alipiri suffered heavy damage due to landslips and flooding, shutting it down for pilgrims who normally trek the Hills.
The Chief Minister asked the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam officials to make arrangements for free accommodation and food for the stranded pilgrims on the Hills.
In Rajampeta constituency in Kadapa district, at least five people were killed in a flash flood in the Cheyyeru rivulet while 12 more were still missing.
Puttaparthi, #Anantapur district under floods now. Please stay safe 🙏 pic.twitter.com/x3K2vTGJ6Z
— Andhra Pradesh Weatherman (@APWeatherman96) November 19, 2021
Kadapa Collector Vijaya Rama Raju told PTI that eight people in all were killed in the district in the floods.
The conductor of a State Road Transport Corporation bus and two other passengers met with a watery grave in Kadapa district as the vehicle tilted in the flood.
Two others in the bus were rescued, according to an official release.
#BREAKING : The Mi-17 Helicopter of @IAF_MCC evacuated 10 people stuck in the floods in #Ananthpur district of #AndhraPradesh pic.twitter.com/4iqJ3XZBKP
— Sushmit Patil Сушмит Патил सुश्मित पाटिल 🇮🇳 (@PatilSushmit) November 20, 2021
In neighbouring Anantapuramu district, 10 people stranded in the Chitravati river flood at Veldurthi village were rescued by the Indian Air Force personnel, who specially flew in from Yelahanka Air Force Station in Karnataka.
The IAF team carried out a winching operation using a Mi-17 helicopter to rescue the ten people, who were stuck in a JCB.
Also Read:
