Andhra Pradesh

Construction workers rescued at Nandyal

Special Correspondent

KURNOOL: The strong will and resilience demonstrated by 15 construction workers and two kids helped them escape from the jaws of death in Kundu floods at Nandyal on Saturday. The workers were washed away by a flash flood on Friday.

The group faced the challenge as one and fought all odds. According to one of the victim, Boggu Ramudu, there was no indication of any flood in Kundu till evening. Fifteen of them were working on the third bridge to accommodate the bypass. As three tanks breached upstream, the flash flood hit their shelter around 5.30 p.m. washing away two kids.

Gangamma first jumped into the water to salvage the kids. Soon others rushed to her rescue. All of them were drifted to a distance of 500 meters and clasped the tree branches. The ordeal did not end after they reached the treetops as snakes too tried to take shelter on the trees.

Officials led by OSD Rajasekhar Babu and Sub Inspector Venkateswarlu scanned the area.

Country boats and a crane were pressed into service to bring the victims to safety. The victims include two boys aged five and two.

Meanwhile, the police saved 13 out of the 15 people who were trapped in a truck, which fell off a culvert near Nandyal. The truck was on its way to Tangutur. Meanwhile, officials recovered two bodies from a collapsed house and a water pool in Kurnool city.

So far, 11 people died in the flood related incidents in the district since Friday.

Anantapur staff reporter adds: Heavy to moderate rain was recorded all over the district. Two persons were killed in houses collapse incidents and several houses caved in due to heavy rain at different places. One Narasamma in Rampuram village of Penukonda mandal was killed in the roof collapse on Friday evening while another woman was killed and several others injured in a house collapse at Chinnamatlagondi village in Singanamala mandal on Saturday afternoon.

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