Rain toll reaches 41 in Andhra

Heavy rains played havoc in Andhra Pradesh killing 41 persons in the past 24 hours and authorities evacuated over 24,000 people to safer areas.

Heavy rains played havoc in Andhra Pradesh killing 41 persons in the past 24 hours and authorities evacuated over 24,000 people to safer areas, official sources said on Saturday.

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Forty-one deaths were reported since Friday from 10 districts and eight fishermen are still missing in East Godavari district, sources said.

Kurnool was the worst affected with 15 people losing lives to the heavy showers. Communication facilities are badly affected and several villages in the district are cut off.

Five persons died in Guntur, four in Prakasam, three each in Kadapa and Karimnagar and one each died in Srikakulam, East Godavari, West Godavari and Mahabubnagar districts, they said.

In East Godavari district, body of a fisherman was found on the sea sore and eight others who ventured for fishing still are missing, sources said.

Three helicopters have been pressed into service in rain-affected districts to evacuate people and to carry out relief work.

Over 68 relief camps have been set up and about 24,869 persons have been evacuated to safer places, the sources added.