HYDERABAD // The death toll from floods in Andhra Pradesh state has reached 45, officials said yesterday.
Downpours triggered by a cyclone that hit the coast further south last week have left hundreds of villages inundated and nearly 70,000 people in relief camps set up across the state for stranded people. Authorities yesterday continued efforts to provide relief to marooned villagers.
At least 45 people have died and 1,300 houses have been damaged by the flooding, a state official said.
Although flood water was receding, remote villages in the Godavari region and two other coastal districts continued to reel from the devastating rains.
Officials said they were trying to provide aid to flooded villages and restore rail and road traffic.
Standing paddy and cotton crops also suffered extensive damage because of the unseasonal rainfall.
N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Andhra Pradesh's chief minister, on Tuesday visited flood-hit areas and promised to provide help for the victims, especially farmers whose crops have been destroyed.
Manmohan Singh, the prime minister, has asked Mr Reddy to "constantly monitor the situation", a statement from his office said.
In September, 2 million people were forced to flee their homes in north-east Assam state after floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains.
