Andhra, Telangana rain fury: Over 24 dead, 100 trains cancelled; schools, colleges shut

At least 24 people have died, and over 17,000 have been evacuated from various parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, as incessant rain continues to cause devastation across the states, leading to widespread flooding. 

Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were battered by torrential rains for the second consecutive day, resulting in 24 fatalities, large-scale flooding and waterlogging, along with massive disruptions to road and rail traffic. 

According to an official, 99 trains were cancelled on Sunday (September 1), with four partly cancelled and 54 diverted owing to water on rails at numerous sites along the South Central Railway. With heavy rains expected for the third day in a row on Monday (September 2), all schools in the Hyderabad district will be closed, and Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has asked offices to enable staff to work from home.

Rivers were in spate and thousands were evacuated by national and state disaster response forces from flooded areas to relief camps. The chief ministers of both states were assured by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of all the assistance they could receive from the federal government.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the depression that has been generating heavy rains over the last two days across the shores of north and south Andhra Pradesh and Odisha moved northwestward to pass the southern state's coast early on Sunday near Kalingapatnam. About 90 km to the northwest of Visakhapatnam and 120 km to the east of Malkangiri, the weather system is focused over south Odisha and the neighbouring north and northeast of Andhra Pradesh.

An official stated, "During the next 24 hours, it is likely to weaken into a well-marked low pressure area as it moves west-northwestward across south Odisha and south Chhattisgarh."

Twenty-six National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, equipped with inflatable boats, pole and tree cutters, and basic medical aid tool, are being deployed for flood relief and rescue operations in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, according to officials. Twelve teams have already been deployed, and 14 more are being airlifted to the two neighbouring states.