As many as seven persons died in separate rain-related incidents in different parts of the State since Sunday night. Most of the victims were swept in flash floods due to heavy rains in Vikarabad, Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri and Hanumakonda districts.
Tragedy struck two families in Vikarabad as a newly-wed woman and her husband’s sister got washed away in a canal in Marpally mandal on Sunday night. They were travelling in a car. While the bride Pravalika and the sister-in-law Swetha Reddy’s bodies were recovered, an eight-year-old boy who was also in the car was yet to be found. The family members alleged that the car driver, Raghavender Reddy, was inebriated.
Pravalika and Nawaz Reddy got married on August 24. After completing post-marriage celebrations at Pravalika’s home in Mominpet, the couple were returning to Nawaz’s home in Ravepally. Apart from the newly-wed couple, the groom’s sisters Radha, Swetha and her son Thrishanth were in the car.
As water was overflowing on the road in Marpally, several vehicles stopped at a distance. Vikarabad DSP A. Sanjeev Rao said the family members urged Raghavender to stop the car and wait. “However, he drove the car on the road overflowing with water and the vehicle stopped mid-way. The car got washed into the canal and hit a tree. Glass of the window broke due to the impact,” said G. Venkat Sreenu, sub-inspector at Marpally police station.
While Nawaz, Radha, and Raghavender escaped after struggling in water, Pravalika and Swetha got washed away. Both their bodies were recovered on Monday morning. Thrishanth was yet to be found.
Mr Sanjeev Rao said the family’s allegations against the driver was yet to be scientifically established. However, a case has been registered against him.
In another incident, in Shankarpalli of Vikarabad, a 70-year-old man died after the car in which he was travelling was swept away on Sunday night while crossing a bridge which was overflowing with water from a stream in spate. Four other occupants of the car escaped while the vehicle along with the body of the elderly man in it was found on Monday, a police official said.
Techie found in drain
The body of a software engineer was found in a stormwater drain at Kakaji Colony of Hanumakonda town on Monday. He was identified as V. Kranthi Kumar (32), a resident of Shiva Nagar colony. Even a laptop was also found along with the body. It was stated that he might have accidentally fallen into the drain and died.
In another incident, a car was washed away into the drain near Ambedkar Bhavan. It was suspected that the car might have been parked near the drain and got swept away due to heavy flooding.
Two swept away
A man and his two women pillion riders were washed away by an intense overflowing stream near Kurraram village of Rajapet mandal on Monday. While Dangu Sravan Kumar, 36, was able to reach a safe place, the two others, identified as Godugu Sindhuja (25) and Ponny Himabindhu (22), were swept away instantly in the furious Dosala Vagu.
The incident, according to Rajapet police, was reported around 12.45 p.m., when the trio coming from Rajapet lost control of their motorcycle on the Dosala Vagu. They were heading towards Bondhugala village to attend a family function and the stream crossing near Kurraram village was inevitable to proceed further. Himabindhu’s body was yet to be traced.
According to official data, Rajapet mandal received the highest 157mm rainfall on Monday, followed by Alair (142 mm) and Yadagirigutta (97 mm).
Several villages in the district were cut off as heavy streams inundated crossovers and small bridges, such as for Cholleru, Marrigudem, Kotha Gundlapally, and Koratikal and Moripirala villages across Bikkeru Vagu in Atmakur (M).
The Musi Project, where all the flood accumulates, was operated in wake of the rising water levels starting 8 a.m., and the number of gates and their height were gradually increased throughout the day.
Official figures last available at 7 p.m., showed the project was brimming with 4.07 tmcft water as against the full capacity of 4.46 tmc ft and the water level was one-and-half feet less than the full reservoir level of 645 ft.
District Collector Pamela Satpathy said a flood and disaster helpline, 08685-234020 and 1950, is now working round the clock. She said police, revenue and irrigation officials, along with rescue operators, were monitoring the situation closely.
