Vijayawada/Kakinada/Kurnool: Rains claimed four lives in the last 24 hours in Andhra Pradesh.
In East Godavari district, a woman and two children were washed away in a rivulet in Devipatnam mandal on Friday night. Their bodies were found on Saturday.
Devipatnam police said a few residents of Badigunta village went to Rampachodavaram to update their Aadhaar cards on Friday and were returning home in the evening. They were caught in the currents in the rivulet while crossing it. There was a sudden swelling due to heavy rain in the region.
Four persons -- Veeramani, Jyothi, Vamsi and Ganesh -- were washed away in the swirling waters. Veeramani managed to reach ashore by holding on to a tree. However, Jyothi, 30, and her son Vamsi Dora, 5, and Ganesh, 6, were washed away. Their bodies were also traced.
In Prakasam district, an 18-year-old devotee was washed away in a steam at Nemaligundla Ranganayama Swamy temple in Racharla mandal. The deceased was Kancharla Raghava, who was trying to walk on the small bridge across the stream. The stream was overflowing at that time following heavy rain in Nallamala forests. Police said he fell down from the bridge and was washed away. The body was fished out from the water, police said.
In Anantapur district, a loaded lorry fell into Jilledu Vagu near Dorigal along the Mudigubba-Pulivendula Road in the district on Saturday. Its driver was trying to cross the waterbody, which was overflowing. Fortunately, both the driver and its cleaner escaped with minor injuries.
Five irrigation tanks breached in several parts of the district and caused damage to crops in Kadiri area.
Two big rocks fell on the main road from the hill in a landslide close to Turakavandlapalli in Talupula mandal in the district on Friday. No one was hurt but there was disruption of vehicular traffic on the road.
Several habitations in five municipalities located close to the hillock face a similar threat of fall of big rocks.
Meanwhile, the weatherman has warned of heavy rainfall in isolated places in north/south coastal AP and Yanam in the next four days from Sept. 5 to 8. Andhra Pradesh received average rainfall of seven mm with Chittoor receiving the highest at 14.4 mm while the lowest was at 1.2 mm in Srikakulam.
