Cyclone Helen crosses coastal Andhra, 2 dead

Hyderabad: Cyclone Helen on Friday crossed Andhra Pradesh coast as a cyclonic storm close to southern areas of Machilipatnam in Krishna district. Two people were killed in separate rain-related incidents in Krishna district and 16,290 people were evacuated to safer places, AP State Disaster Management Commissioner C Parthasarathi told reporters in Hyderabad. [caption id=“attachment_1244515” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] Three boats carrying 20 fishermen who went out for fishing, were missing earlier, but two of these boats are on their way back to the coast safely in East Godavari district, while efforts are on to ensure the safety of the third boat, he said. Paddy crop ready for harvest and coconut and banana crops suffered extensive damage in coastal districts, he said. The West Godavari district is said to be the worst-hit in terms of crop damage, while coastal districts of Krishna, East Godavari and Srikakulam bore the brunt of heavy rains, though Cyclone Helen’s impact was also felt in Guntur and Visakhapatnam districts, he said. The Disaster Management Commissioner said that 10 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed for rescue operations. Heavy rains and gales triggered by the cyclone also uprooted of trees and electric poles. PTI