Rains and Flood takes 200 lives in AP and Karnataka

The rains and floods in parts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh left 172 dead as authorities on Saturday intensified rescue efforts with army troops backed by IAF helicopters shifting marooned villagers from rooftops to safer areas. While 156 people perished in the heavy rains that battered 15 districts of Karnataka, 16 people were killed in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh whose five districts were hit by the flash flood. However, the death count in both the states is likely to go up as many flood-hit areas were still to be accessed in Andhra Pradesh and between 11 and 21 persons were feared buried under mounds following landslide in a hillock at Kadawada village in Uttara Kannada where two bodies have been recovered, officials said.
Army, Navy and IAF are lending a helping hand to Karnataka to tackle the havoc wrought by the unseasonal rains that has brought vast swathes of land under sheets of water and caused damage to over one lakh houses. Official sources said that in the worst-hit Bijapur district, the number of deaths has risen to 30. Neighbouring Bagalkote accounted for 20 rain-related deaths since 28th September, followed by Raichur (19), Gulbarga (18), Koppal (17), Bellary (12), Davangere (nine), Chitradurga (eight), Gadag (seven), Belgaum (six), Uttara Kannada (five), Bidar (four) and Dharwad (one). State Home Minister V S Acharya said torrential rains had damaged 1,03,291 houses and Government has opened 479 relief camps where 1,23,653 people have taken shelter. Eight helicopters and 38 boats are part of the rescue and relief operations. Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa along with Revenue Minister Karunakara Reddy conducted an aerial survey of the affected districts of Bellary, Koppal and Raichur.