Cyclone Phethai hits Andhra Pradesh, but softens blow

VIJAYAWADA/RAJAHMUNDRY: Cyclone Phethai left a trail of destruction on Monday in parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh, hitting normal life, disrupting power supply and road, rail and air transport, but an alert state government minimised the loss to human and animal life.


One person died in a cyclone-related incident in

Vijayawada

following a landslide after a heavy downpour on Sunday night.

However, the chilly weather and fall in minimum temperature led to the deaths of at least eight people where hypothermia (fall in body temperature) was the suspected cause; six of these deaths were confirmed: two each from West Godavari and East Godavari, and one each from Prakasam & Visakhapatnam.

Phethai crossed the coast at Katrenikona in East Godavari district on Monday afternoon with wind speeds of up to 80 kmph. Agriculture and horticulture crops spread over 11,000 hectares were damaged in Guntur, Krishna, West and East Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts. Parts of

Konaseema

and East Godavari bore the brunt of Phethai’s fury. Streams were full and, with copious inflows expected into the Krishna, authorities released water into the sea from Prakasam barrage in Vijayawada.

Traffic on the national highways passing through the coastal districts came to a halt due to falling trees and damage to the roads. Three dozen trains were either cancelled or diverted.

Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.