6-yr-old Among 2 Dead as Fresh Spell of Heavy Rains Leads to Chaos in Hyderabad, Brings Traffic to Halt

Close on the heels of torrential rainfall that triggered flash floods in Hyderabad, claiming at least 50 lives earlier this week, heavy showers battered the city once again on Saturday night, leaving at least two dead. The deceased include a six-year-old girl who was buried alive after a portion of the house collapsed on her.

Hair-raising visuals captured on Saturday showed vehicles being swept away in swirling waters as residents in low-lying areas struggled to keep themselves afloat. The Balanagar Lake breached its mark causing severe inundation in parts of Old city, Chandrayangutta, Falaknuma and its surrounding areas. People spent the nights perched on their rooftops as overflowing waters washed away their homes and belongings.

Another video showed a car stuck in raging floodwaters as a JCB machine tried to drag it to safety and all four passengers were rescued in the nick of time. Army and NDRF teams on the ground accompanied by the state police and GHMC Disaster relief teams were continuously working on the field clearing water stagnations and inundations.

In one of the videos shared on Twitter, an auto-rickshaw in flood-hit Baba Nagar was seen being swept away as locals tried to stop the vehicle from being washed away. In another video, a man can be seen swimming in the rainwater after traffic came to a screeching halt.

According to the official data, Singapur Township in Medchal-Malkajgiri district received 157.3 mm rainfall, followed by 153 mm of rain at Banglaguda near Uppal. Several other areas in the city also witnessed heavy downpour.

​

Director of Vigilance and Disaster Management of GHMC, Vishwajit Kampati said that the Disaster Response Force (DRF) personnel were taking all possible measure to clear out stagnated water. “DRF teams are continually working on field clearing stagnated water. All possible measures are being initiated,” he tweeted.

Over 20 disaster relief teams have been deployed to move stranded residents to relief camps set-up across the city. Various community kitchens have also joined hands to provide relief materials to those affected.

The unprecedented rains triggered pandemonium on the streets as traffic came to a grinding halt due to overflowing drains and water stagnation on the road. The city traffic police closed the Falaknuma Bridge after a huge portion of the road caved in due to heavy downpur. The old Kurnool road towards the airport from PV Narasimha Rao expressway was also shut temporarily.

Meanwhile, Municipal Administration Minsiter KT Rama Rao, who has been on visits to flood-affected areas since Wednesday, October 14, directed officials to carry out door-step delivery of the Chief Minister’s Relief Kits. Each kit comprised of blankets and staples like rice and pulses. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GMCH) also set-up helplines to attend to the people.

The IMD in its forecast for Sunday said light to moderate rains or thundershowers were very likely to occur in some parts of the city, at times intense spells at one or two places in the city. Rain alert has been issued across the city till October 21.

In his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao requested for an immediate release of Rs 1,350 crore as funds, citing losses to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore in view of devastating floods across the state.

Read all the Latest News and Breaking News here