7 Dead, 58 Injured In Hailstorm

At least seven people were killed and 58 others were left injured due to heavy rains and hailstorms in different parts of Andhra Pradesh in the last two days.

According to the Disaster Management Department, four people were killed in Warangal, two in Anantapur and one death has been reported from Nizamabad due to heavy rains and hailstorms.

All 58 people who were injured are from Warangal district.

Officials say that hailstorms are a common feature in the state during February - May and caused considerable damage to agriculture and horticulture crops. It even damaged houses.

While light to moderate rainfall has occurred at isolated places in the state since 23rd February, hailstorms have been reported daily from 1st March across the state.

On Wednesday, all the 10 districts in Telangana, Ananthapur and Kurnool districts in Rayalaseema, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, West Godavari and Guntur in coastal Andhra have received rainfall almost continuously.

Of the 20 mandals that have received more than 3 centimetres of rainfall, three mandals received more than 5 centimetres of rainfall.

The livestock loss has been put at 931 with Warangal on top with 911 miscellaneous animals, besides the death of 3,000 poultry animals. The other districts where heavy livestock loss has been reported are Nizamabad, Medak, Karimnagar and Adilabad.

A total of 374 houses were also damaged, both partly and fully, in Kurnool (15), Medak (224), Adilabad (109) and Anantapur (26).

The India Meteorological Department has predicted light to moderate rain or thunder-showers, with or without hail, at a few places over Telangana. "Rain or thunder-showers will occur at isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh & Rayalaseema," the Met Department said. (INN)