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Monsoon toll in India's Andhra Pradesh touches 53

by : DPA

Date : Sun, 10 Aug 2008 10:17:48 GMT





New Delhi - Heavy monsoon rains continued to lash India 's southern Andhra Pradesh state on Sunday as the death toll in floods and house collapses touched 53, news reports said. Incessant rains and flash floods since Tuesday have led to widespread devastation in Andhra Pradesh capital Hyderabad and eight districts, mostly along the coast, IANS news agency reported.

Police said at least 40 people have died over the weekend and hundreds have been forced to abandon homes that had collapsed or were flooded.

More than 50 residential areas of Hyderabad city and dozens of villages in the eight districts remained under water on Sunday as streams, drains and water tanks overflowed.

Several major roads in the state were flooded leaving traffic stranded on highways between large towns.

The local weather office warned of more showers over the next 24 hours. The latest spell of rain has been brought on by a depression over the Bay of Bengal along the Andhra coast.

People living in low-lying areas have been asked to move to safer places and fishermen have been advised against going out to the sea.

At least 14 people died in Hyderabad, mostly in house collapses. Boats were being used to rescue people from marooned areas in the city and army helicopters were on standby.

The floods have damaged houses and crops over thousands of acres. Andhra Pradesh Minister for Revenue and Relief Dharmana Prasad Rao said the losses could be assessed only after the rains stopped.

At least 1,060 people have died across India, mostly in Andhra Pradesh, northern Uttar Pradesh and eastern West Bengal, Assam and Orissa states, during this year 's monsoon season, India 's federal National Disaster Management cell said in its latest situation report.

India 's monsoon season usually lasts from June to September and is vital in recharging water reserves needed for farming. But the heavy showers often cause floods and widespread death and destruction.

The seasonal rains in 2007 were the most devastating in recent memory, with more than 3,200 people killed across several states.



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