Monday, October 31 2005 13:30 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Hyderabad: Heavy rains that lashed several parts of Andhra Pradesh in the last three days under the influence of a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal, have claimed 31 lives while five others were missing, official sources said on Sunday (Oct 30, 2005).

Nellore district accounted for highest deaths, eight persons followed by Chittoor seven, Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar four each, Prakasam and Ranagreddy district three each and Hyderabad two, the sources said.

Four persons were still missing in Nalgonda district and one in Kadapa district, they added. A total of 123 mandals were affected while 11,270 hectares of crop was damaged in the rains besides breaching of 259 irrigation sources. In Nalgonda district alone, where a passenger train derailed on Saturday killing 111 passengers, 55 irrigation sources were breached, sources said.

About 5683 houses were fully damaged and 9674 houses were partly damaged during the rains, they said. Seven villages under Zarugupalli, Ulapadui and Tangutur mandals in Prakasam district were still under water and food packets were supplied to marooned villages with the help of boats.

Heavy rains occurred in the districts of Nellore, Prakasham, Chittoor, Kadapa, Guntur, Kurnool, Mahabubnagar, Ranga Reddy, Hyderabad, Nalgonda and Srikakulam in the last three days.