16 Killed in Andhra Floods, IAF Beefs up Rescue Efforts
With massive floods inundating parts of Andhra Pradesh, nearly 16 people were killed and over 4.5 lakh people evacuated even as the state government stepped up and intensified rescue operations with the help of 550 armed force personnel.
Andhra Pradesh Revenue Minister D Prasad Rao said in Hyderabad that the number of casualty due to floods is 16 but the toll could soar up.
Rescue operation is constantly on. At least, 1.5 lakh people have been evacuated in in Kurnool district, 1.34 lakh people in Mahaboobnagar district, 15,000 people in Krishna district and 5,000 flood victims in Guntur district.
Rao said that about 105 relief camps have been initiated in the districts of Kurnool, Mahaboobnagar, Krishna, Guntur and Nalgonda to help those affected by the floods.
In the meanwhile, Armed forces intensified search and rescue operations using 13 helicopters and over 100 boats in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Defence Ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said that IAF has deployed 13 helicopters, including five Mi-8s and eight Chetaks, in the two southern states and already carried out 17 sorties, Defence Ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said.
While, four AN-32 aircraft have carried out 13 sorties airlifting men and material provided by the National Disaster Management Authority from Pune to the affected areas, another AN-32 sortie transported relief material for the affected people in Kurnool.
Around 350 men and 50 boats are being sent to the affected districts in an IAF IL-76 from Bhuwaneshwar and another 100 men and 30 boats are being airlifted to Hyderabad from Pune, he said.
