Even as water recedes in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu, heavy rains continued along the Andhra Pradesh coast in the Nellore, Chittoor and Kadapa districts on Tuesday.
A report in the Times of India adds:
The rain toll increased to 12 with four more deaths reported from Kadapa on Tuesday evening. Four children died after a rain-soaked wall fell on them at Routhukunta village of Sambepalli mandal of Kadapa district. Rescue teams had to remove the debris using earthmovers to pull out the bodies. Chittoor district reported six deaths on Monday night.
Thousands of acres of crops have been submerged as train services and road transport were badly hit, leaving many passengers stranded on high ways and railway stations.
A report in Firstpost adds that 14,000 people were shifted to relief camps in Nellore and Chittoor districts, while all educational institutions remained closed for a second day.
Rivers, rivulets, tanks and streams in the affected districts overflowed and 40 villages were marooned in Nellore district, the report added.
Announcing an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to intensify rescue and rehabilitation efforts in the three districts and "be vigilant for the next 48 hours."
The heavy downpour is due to a low pressure in the Bay of Bengal which left a trail of destruction in Tamil Nadu before moving north.
Six teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been pressed into service even as the India Meteorological Department forecast heavy rains for Wednesday.
"This is the first time that the state had received such a massive amount of rainfall in a span of just 24 hours," Naidu was quoted as saying.
#NH5 cut off due to heavy rains in Andhra Pradesh @eksivakalyan @Zebashaik29 @muzafaruddin @mujadid @palurumunesh3 pic.twitter.com/iDXsAZGYU3
— Syed Hyder Ali (@RealHyderAli) November 17, 2015
IAF helicopters immediately responded to rescue and relief after incessant rains Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/qdyCmCHx0M
— Aviator Anil Chopra (@Chopsyturvey) November 17, 2015
Four killed as a wall collapsed due to heavy rains in Kadapa (Andhra Pradesh) last night. pic.twitter.com/xeVFHyT2qM
— ANI (@ANI_news) November 18, 2015