Visakhapatnam, December 17: With cyclone Phethai made landfall in the state’s East Godavari district on Monday, at least two people were killed due to the heavy rains and strong wounds. Around 20,000 people have been evacuated and are sheltered in relief camps.

According to the Real-Time Governance Centre at the state secretariat in Vijayawada, the cyclone Phethai hit the coastal Andhra Pradesh’s Katrenikona around 12.25 pm with a wind speed of 80 kmph. Among the most affected districts include – East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur. Cyclone Phethai Makes Landfall Near Katrenikona in East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh, Government Issues Heavy Rain And Wind Alert.

The strong winds uprooted trees and electricity poles in several areas, while the power supply was also affected in Kakinada town and several other parts of East Godavari district. Landslides were also reported in some places.

The police informed that Vijayawada resident Durga Rao (40) and East Godavari district resident Rellivalasala Veeramma (68) lost their life due to the torrential downpour, as an aftereffect of cyclone Phethai.

Communication routes – especially trains and bus services – have been stopped in the affected area. As per the report, around 50 trains of the South Central Railways have been cancelled in coastal Andhra and trains plying from Vijayawada to affected places have been suspended as a precautionary measure. Even flights between Delhi and Vishakhapatnam were diverted citing inclement weather.

The state government has cautioned the residents of the vicinity and deployed teams of National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and police personnel to rescue the people. Along with this, the Indian Navy has been kept on standby for any untoward incident. As a precautionary step, the administration has directed the educational institutions not to remain shut.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 17, 2018 08:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).