Hyderabad: At least 31 persons were killed in Andhra Pradesh as a severe cyclonic storm, that hit the coastal belt late last night (Dec 15, 2003), left behind a trail of death and destruction in Krishna, West Godavari and Guntur districts.

Krishna district was the worst affected accounting for 24 deaths in house collapses and heavy rains, followed by West Godavari 4 and Guntur 3, official sources said this evening (Dec 16).

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who reviewed the situation soon after his arrival in Hyderabad from Delhi, will visit the affected areas in Guntur and Krishna districts tomorrow.

Torrential rains, accompanied by gales, caused heavy damage to crops and roads and uprooted trees and power lines, leading to power disruption in over 900 villages in the three districts where over 500 cattles perished.

A vast stretch of paddy and other crops were damaged in the coastal belt.

A report quoting Krishna district collectorate at Machilipatnam said 24 persons died in house collapses and heavy rains in Krishna district, where about 3,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas as torrential rains led to heavy damage to crops and roads. A majority of the victims were elderly persons who died due to cold wave.

Machilipatnam division reported ten deaths while Gudivada division eight, Vijayawada two and Nuzividu division reported four deaths, the report said.

PTI