3 dead in Visakhapatnam as Cyclone Hudhud touches coast
19 NDRF rescue teams are on standby in the city
Visakhapatnam: Three people have been reported dead in Andhra Pradesh after Cylone Hudhud hit the state on Sunday. Yoganandam died at Santabommali in Srikakulam district, Appaiah died at Padmanabhaiah mandal and Styavthi died in Anakapalli in Hyderabad.
"One person died as a wall collapsed and one more died as he was hit by a tree," Media advisor to the government Parakala Prabhakar said.
Wind speed in Visakhapatnam has touched nearly 200 kmph, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).
The government has also advised locals not to come out of their houses as there might be a period of lull after the Cyclone Hudhud makes landfall in the afternoon. "There will be a period of calm for about six hours after landfall according to the IMD. But people should not mistake it to be the end of the cyclone. Gusts of wind will resume again after the landfall," Prabhakar said. The eye of the cyclone will be centred in a 25-kilometre radius region around Visakhapatnam causing maximum devastation in the city.
Most damage is in Vizag. Winds are not very strong in Odisha but heavy rainfall will be seen in south Odisha: IMD pic.twitter.com/0BuqupJFgc
— ANI (@ANI_news) October 12, 2014Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is also reviewing the current situation from Hyderabad.
Communication in the city has also been severely hit due to the cyclone while several parts of the city are in dark.
Prabhakar said the government has asked network providers to have technical teams on standby to ensure that the communication networks remain intact.
About 19 NDRF rescue teams are on standby in the city, along with six helicopters and 56 rescue boats.