Heavy Rains Claim 8 Lives In Hyderabad

At least 8 persons were killed and over a dozen injured in different incidents related to heavy rains in the city and its surroundings.

4 members of a family were killed in an incident of wall collapse at Adithya Nagar in Hafeezpet, in the wee hours of Saturday. Four more persons were killed in another incident of wall collapse in the Balanagar Industrial Area.

GHMC Commissioner M T Krishna Babu announced a Rs. 1 lakh compensation to the families of the victims.

Expressing grief over these deaths, chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy instructed officials to take extra precautions, especially in view of the meterological department predicting more rainfall in the next 24 hours.

However, despite weak and dilapidated structures having been identified in the GHMC limits, officials have taken no action to demolish them. Such structures now pose a great threat to residents. The GHMC has reportedly received complaints related to an old structure on the Shalibanda main road, which poses a threat to lives of passersby in the area.

Meanwhile, during a review meeting held at the CM's camp office at Begumpet on Saturday, Disaster Management deputy director Ratnakumar informed Kiran Kumar Reddy that the city received 15 cm rainfall on Friday and Saturday.

The CM asked the district collectors to be alert over the monsoon, as weather officials have predicted moderate to heavy rains in the state in the next 48-hours.

Reviewing the flood situation in the twin cities, he directed officials to take all necessary steps to prevent damage to property and lives.

He also directed the Sewerage department and Health and Medical officials to take up rescue and relief operations in the flood-affected areas immediately.

Officials have been directed to shift people from the low-lying areas to safer places, and to provide them with food and shelter by setting up relief camps.

M T Krishna Babu said that 6 control rooms have been set up in the city to monitor the flood situation. He appealed to distressed people to contact the control rooms in the following areas for any assistance:

GHMC Central Emergency: 23314289, 23394566
Central Zone - Khairatabad - 23322978
South Zone (Old City) - 24500254, 24419508, 9989930671
North Zone (Secunderabad) - 27807321
West Zone (Kukatpally) - 23010062, 23011963
East Zone (L B Nagar) - 24046300, 24140937. (INN)