Even as unofficial figures put the death toll in Nellore district due to cyclonic storm 'Jal' at 10, district Collector K Ramgopal put the death toll in the district as 4.
Ramgopal stated that the reports of the 10 deaths are yet to be confirmed.
According to sources, 5 people died in various mandals – one each died from Gudur, Pellakur, Manubolu, Tada and Kota mandals, while 2 persons were killed in Allur mandal and 3 in Chittamur mandal.
Sources said that most of the deaths were of aged people as they were unable to bear the brunt of the cyclone physically.
The district has been witnessing heavy rain fall since the last 2 days due to the severe cyclone that was accompanied with gusty winds.
The state government has announced that 127 villages in Nellore, Krishna, Prakasam and Guntur have faced the brunt of cyclone Jal in the state.
The officials also stated that 300 houses were partially or completely damaged in the cyclone-hit areas. The figure may rise once the cyclone subsides, they said.
Agriculture Minister Raghuveera Reddy had already stated that an estimated 3 lakh hectares of standing crop has been submerged under flood waters.
Meanwhile, Disaster Management officials stated that the crop loss may be more, as lakhs of acres of agriculture lands have been damaged due to the cyclone. They said they were yet to estimate the property loss.
Courtesy: INN
filed in:Cyclone Jal, Disaster Management, Natural Calamities, K Ramgopal