2 dead as rains lash Hyderabad; LB stadium tower collapses

Hyderabad: A five-year-old child who was at play and a GST commissionerate official walking home were killed when gales and heavy rain battered the city, bringing down trees and power cables and a floodlight tower of the LB stadium and stranding traffic on Monday evening.

The strong winds and severe thunderstorm were followed by rain, with Malkajgiri topping the charts with 18.5 mm rainfall.

The storm occurred during the peak hours and caused major traffic snarls at LB Nagar, Hayathnagar, Quthbullapur, Secunderabad, Boduppal, Nacharam, Medipally, Saroornagar, Dilsukhnagar faced traffic jams due to water stagnation and heavy rain.

Patancheru, Ramachandrapuram, Lingampally and other on the other areas were also affected by traffic jams.

Additional commissioner, traffic, Anil Kumar said traffic police had cleared the roads of the fallen trees by coordinating with the departments concerned. A tree that had fallen across the road from Kattamaisamma to Indira Park crossroads was cleared by traffic police personnel.

Tree falls were reported from Banjara Hills, Moosarambagh and Malakpet. Tree branches were strewn across the roads and were cleared by traffic police personnel.

Water logging was reported at 40 places in the city.

Electricity lines the Cantonment area were down, and all helpline numbers were busy at the electricity board office. Power was cut for more than two hours in Marredpally, Vasavinagar, Tarnaka, Nacharam, Habsiguda, Uppal and parts of Charminar, Chandrayangutta, Santoshnagar, Dilsukhnagar and Abids. Some residents complained of a sudden spike in the power supply damaging electric gadgets.

Sheds erected in the courtyard of Macca Masjid collapsed due to heavy winds. Eight Disaster Relief Force teams, each consisting of 25 members, were on the streets to provide emergency services.

Army personnel were called in to lend a helping hand to remove trees in Secunderabad.

Satya Subramanyam, a GST superintendent, was killed when a floodlight tower at the Lal Bahadur Stadium fell under the impact of the strong winds. He was walking towards the Lakdikaput station to board the Metro train.

His colleague, GST superintendent M.M. Ramesh, suffered fractures and is admitted at a hospital in Nampally.

The area was cordoned off after one of the four floodlight towers, a city landmark that is visible from a distance, toppled over.

Mr Viswajit Kampati, director of the GHMC’s disaster management wing, said, the light tower had fallen under the impact of the winds. “The structural strength of all floodlight towers will be evaluated.”

The other victim was five-year-old Manikanta Raju, a resident of Sahakarnagar near Chaderghat.

He was playing outside the house when strong winds brought a shed down on him, grievously injuring him. He was rushed to a hospital at Malakpet where he was declared brought dead.