Disastrous downpour continues in AP; 25 killed

At least 25 persons have been killed since Sunday as torrential rains continue to batter coastal Andhra Pradesh in the wake of last week's Cyclone Nilam, with the northeast monsoon in full swing.

Three more deaths were confirmed by this morning, pushing up Sunday's toll. Worse may be yet to come, as some submerged areas have not yet been reached by the authorities. Moreover, more rainfall is expected in the next two days.

Around 150 villages in eight districts of Andhra Pradesh, including Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, Krishna, Guntur and East and West Godavari, have been submerged under floods. Around 80,000 people have been evacuated to 86 relief camps. Crops spread over 250,000 lakh hectares of farmland have been destroyed.

In East Godavari district, one of the worst-hit by flash floods, seven deaths were reported while about 30,000 people were shifted to relief camps.

Over 500 villages in the district were isolated due to overflowing rivulets, tanks, streams and reservoirs. Over 70 tanks were breached in the coastal district, inundating dozens of villages, which were without electricity.

Narsapuram in West Godavari district received 31 cm of rainfall, the highest in many years. Seventy two villages in Vishaka agency area and four substations in the Nagavali river area were under water.