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AP floods: Relief operations continue,
toll rises to 77

Relief operations are in full swing in flood-affected southern Andhra Pradesh even as the death toll has mounted to 77, with another 32 persons reported missing.

Confirming the toll, State Relief Commissioner D C Rosaiah told on Saturday rediff.com that Cuddapah district accounted for 32 deaths, with another 20 persons missing.

The death toll in other districts included 18 in Kurnool, 12 in Nellore, six in Guntur, five in Chittoor and four in Anantapur.

Of those reported missing, eight are from Guntur, three from Kurnool and one from Nellore.

Rescue workers are making efforts to trace missing persons and retrieve bodies from swollen rivulets and flooded areas.

Of the 14 persons -- 13 women and a man -- reported missing when they were washed away in the swirling waters of the Gundlakamma rivulet in Guntur district on October 18, authorities recovered six bodies so far while the search is on to trace the remaining bodies.

Rosaiah said relief operations are being taken up on a war-footing in the affected districts. As many as 48,333 people have been shifted to 128 relief camps while food packets and water sachets are being air-dropped by two helicopters to people in marooned villages.

As the heavy rains subsided and water levels in the rivers and streams receded over the last couple of days, the enumeration teams began going round the affected areas for assessing the damage to life and property.

A preliminary assessment has indicated that 14,668 houses, spread over five districts, were damaged, 626 irrigation tanks suffered breaches, communication links and power and water supply lines were extensively damaged.

Rosaiah said the distribution of relief to the affected families - 20 kilograms of rice, five litres of kerosene, Rs 500 in cash and some clothes - would be completed during the weekend.

The government would make an ex-gratia payment of Rs 50,000 to the next of kin of those who died in the floods while house-owners are being paid Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 to repair their partially or fully damaged houses, as the case may be.

RELATED REPORT:
AP flood toll rises to 49

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