5 killed, Livestock Perish Due To Cyclone Montha In Warangal
In Dornakal mandal of Mahbubabad district, Roshamma, 44, from Satyathanda village, died after slipping in rainwater that entered her hut and being swept away. In Mahbubabad rural mandal, Sampath, 30, of Redyala Thanda village, was swept away while trying to cross a flooded stream on his motorcycle.
WARANGAL: Continuous heavy rains caused by Cyclone Montha have claimed at least five lives and caused massive loss of livestock across the erstwhile Warangal district. The fatalities occurred due to wall collapses, people being swept away by floodwaters, and drowning incidents, while one person remains missing.
In Hanamkonda district, Gaddala Suramma, 60, died when a wall collapsed on her while she was asleep in her house at Kondaparthi village in Inavolu mandal. Similarly, in Guduru mandal of Mahbubabad district, Kola Ramakka, 65, of Gajula Gattu village, was killed late on Wednesday night when a rain-soaked wall of her house collapsed as she slept.
In Dornakal mandal of Mahbubabad district, Roshamma, 44, from Satyathanda village, died after slipping in rainwater that entered her hut and being swept away. In Mahbubabad rural mandal, Sampath, 30, of Redyala Thanda village, was swept away while trying to cross a flooded stream on his motorcycle. His body and bike were later found stuck among trees by police and NDRF teams. In Enumamula village of Warangal district, Adapa Krishnamurthy, 72, drowned in the floodwaters.
The cyclone also caused heavy loss of livestock, the main source of livelihood for many farmers. In Ponugodu village of Guduru mandal, shepherd Veeraiah lost 30 sheep to the floods while grazing them in the forest. In Velgonda village of Narmetta mandal, Pantangi Chandramouli lost 110 animals, including 60 sheep and 50 poultry birds.
Members of the Sheep and Goat Breeders Association (GMPS) visited the affected areas, demanding ₹10,000 compensation per animal lost and the implementation of an insurance scheme for livestock. They also urged the government to provide ₹10 lakh ex gratia to the families of shepherds who die in accidents such as snakebites or lightning strikes.
Meanwhile, in Timmanpeta village of Station Ghanpur mandal, a dramatic rescue unfolded when Barigala Shivakumar and Bakka Sravya, a college student from Hanamkonda, were swept away while crossing a flooded causeway known as Bolla Mattadi on a motorcycle. Shivakumar managed to save himself by clinging to a tree branch, but Sravya was carried away by the current. Police and rescue teams have launched a search operation to locate her.