Over 17 dead as ‘Cyclone Laila’ devastates Andhra coast

HYDERABAD - At least 17 people feared killed and three others declared missing as ‘Cyclone Laila’ continues to have a devastating impact along the Andhra Pradesh coastline.

‘Cyclone Laila’ has damaged road networks and destroyed crops in almost all coastal districts of the state.

According to Andhra Pradesh Disaster Management Commissioner T Radha seven people were killed in Krishna District, including five in a wall collapse in Vijayawada city.

Radha said four persons had lost their lives in Nellore, three in Guntur, two in East Godavari and one in Prakasam Districts.

Two persons were missing in Krishna district and one in East Godavari when the ‘cyclone Laila’ made the landfall in Macchalipatnam area.

Radha further said five members of a family were buried alive under a wall that collapsed on their hut at Chittinagar in Vijayawada.

There was also a landslide in the area but no one was killed.

Official sources said crops suffered extensive damage while road network remained badly battered due to heavy rains caused by the cyclonic storm.

Meanwhile, the Met Department said the storm was heading towards Orissa from Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh.

Many colonies in Ongole town in Prakasam district-which bore the brunt of ‘cyclone Laila’-remained marooned due to a constant downpour in the last two days.

Over 300 Army personnel, besides teams of National Disaster Response Force (NERF), have been rushed to Ongole for rescue and relief operations.

In East Godavari district, air, rail and road traffic was disrupted due to heavy rains.

Three persons were killed in East Godavari District and one person missing even as over 3,000 people in low-lying areas were shifted to relief camps and nearby schools.

The Andhra Pradesh Government has setup control rooms at Amalapuram, Kakinada, Samalkota and other places to monitor the situation. (ANI)