At least 20 killed due to lightning in Andhra Pradesh as heavy rains hit the state

Hyderabad: At least 20 people were killed due to lightning in different parts of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday as heavy rains lashed the state under the impact of low pressure area.

While six people died in Nellore district, four each died in Krsihna and Prakasam districts. Three deaths were reported from Guntur, two from East Godavari and one each from Anantapur and Srikakulam districts.

The state government has announced Rs.4 lakh ex-gratia each for the families of those killed due to lightning. The decision was taken at a meeting of top officials convened by chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in the evening to review the situation in the wake of heavy rains.

Parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana received heavy rains under the impact of a low pressure area over Bay of Bengal. The rains led to flooding of low-lying areas and inundated roads, affecting the movement of traffic.

Hyderabad also experienced heavy rains. The vehicular traffic was thrown out of gear as roads in several busy areas were inundated.

The met office has forecast more rains in both the Telugu states over next two to three days. IANS