Laila hits Andhra coast, wrecks havoc (Second Lead)

HYDERABAD/NEW DELHI - Cyclonic storm Laila, accompanied by heavy rains, high storm surges and winds with speed of 125 km per hour, hit southern part of Andhra Pradesh coast Thursday afternoon.

After changing its course repeatedly in the Bay of Bengal during the last three days, the cyclone Thursday afternoon crossed the Andhra coast, about 50 km from Bapatla, a town in southern coastal district of Guntur.

After the landfall, the cyclone re-emerged in northern Bay of Bengal and was heading towards Balasore in Orissa.

Weather officials said the course of Laila was not unusual as there were precedents of cyclones re-emerging on sea after landfall.

“We are still assessing the damages caused by the cyclone in coastal Andhra,” a top official in the disaster management department said in Hyderabad.

However, massive destruction is not likely as the cyclone had shown signs of weakening before the landfall.

“The intensity of cyclone Laila has reduced in the last 12 hours and it will further weaken in the next couple of hours. But it will continue to cause heavy rainfall over coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana during next 36 hours,” Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) director general A.K. Tyagi told reporters in New Delhi.

The weather office has also forecast rains in Rayalaseema and Telangana regions of Andhra Pradesh.

Incessant rains since Wednesday have already wrecked havoc in south coastal region, uprooting trees, damaging electricity and communication systems and destroying crops.

The downpour, which was as high as 34 cm in Prakasam district during the last 24 hours, paralysed normal life and severely affected road and rail transport.

The storm has claimed 14 lives so far. Four deaths were reported Thursday. Three people were killed in Nellore while one person was killed in Krishna district.

The rain and accompanying trong gales have wrecked havoc in the six coastal districts where at least 11 towns and 1,500 villages plunged into darkness and communications were disrupted. Electricity poles and transformers have been uprooted, power lines snapped, and communication towers have collapsed.

Heavy to very heavy rains have inundated several parts of the port town of Machilipatnam in Krishna district. Large parts of Ongole town in Prakasam district and Bapatla in Guntur district are also under water, officials said.

Bus stations, shops and even hospitals in the towns are under up to two feet of water. Road and rail transport was paralysed in several parts of south coastal Andhra Pradesh, especially the worst-hit Prakasam and Guntur districts.

Mango, banana and other horticulture crops over thousands of acres in the coastal districts were damaged.

Authorities have alerted people in 777 villages, likely to be hit by storm surge in sea waves in Guntur, Krishna, and West and East Godavari districts.

Over 50,000 people have already been evacuated while thousands of others moved to safe places on their own.

Over 500 personnel of the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed with boats and other rescue equipment. Four helicopters have been kept ready for rescue while the state authorities have also sought help from the Indian Navy.

An official statement said army authorities were contacted for deployment of helicopters for rescue and relief operations.

The state government has also made a request for deployment of 100 army personnel in Krishna, West Godavari and East Godavari districts.

Chief Minister K. Rosaiah told reporters in Hyderabad that nine helicopters were ready for rescue and relief works in the affected districts.

“We have taken all preventive measures to minimise the loss of lives and property. The official machinery is prepared to deal with any eventuality,” he said.