Complete power blackout since Saturday night worsened the situation
Vizag beach
Visakhapatham/ Hyderabad: As Cyclone Hudhud made landfall on Sunday, residents of Vizag and surrounding areas panicked as even apartment buildings started vibrating due to the wind.
Buildings in Hanumanthawaka suffered cracks, infrastructure was damaged in Seetammadhara while many window panes cracked due to the wind that gusted at 200 kmph.
The complete power blackout since Saturday night worsened the situation and people were left with no communication to update on the latest situation.
“We can feel the apartment building shaking as the wind is blowing strongly through the city. Window panes have cracked and there is a fear that the doors might break open any minute. All the scooters parked inside the apartment were swept away by the wind,” said Mr Nagababu, a resident from Seetammadhara in Vizag.
“We have shut all the doors and windows and yet can feel the wind hitting our building. We have no idea about what is happening outside,” he added.
Visakhapatnam witnessed major destruction including buildings collapsing, uprooting of trees and electric poles. Normal life came to a standstill as power supply was cut and relief vehicles and ambulances couldn’t reach mishap spots due to roads being blocked by uprooted trees. Even cyclone shelters were partially damaged in many areas and cracks appeared in some compound walls.
Ms Shilpa Dantu, an entrepreneur in Vizag and resident of Chinna Waltair, said, “Many windows actually broke into pieces and an entire panel got blown away in our house. Water has completely filled the drawing room and puja room. It was very violent and scary.”
Ms A. Shanthi, a housewife from Maddilapalem said, “I have never seen wind blowing at such high speeds. It took so much time and energy to close a single window. Many trees around our house were uprooted. There is no electricity from yesterday. We don’t even know what is happening in the outside world; we are totally cut off. I can see billboards uprooted, trees fallen and scattered all over the road and more destruction is yet to come. We are very scared and hope that we get some form of connectivity. Our phones are out of charge and even if network is restored, unless there is power we can’t communicate or talk to anyone.”
Many people have also been sharing photographs and videos on the AP Disaster Management Facebook page and the government is making efforts to reach them by inquiring about their exact locations. One such video uploaded by Swarnandhra College of Engineering and Technology, clearly indicated the impact of the winds and the sound.
Another resident from Vizag, Mr Surya Kiran Ganti, uploaded photographs from his balcony and Tweeted that the situation was very tense and people in Vizag were scared.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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