Late on Friday night, a relentless downpour unleashed widespread devastation across Rayachoti town in Annamayya district. The severe weather resulted in a heartbreaking toll of four lives lost and one young girl tragically going missing in two distinct incidents.
As rescue teams mobilized across the district, a profound tragedy unfolded in Rayachoti’s S.N. Colony. Sheikh Munni, aged 27, and her six-year-old son, Sheikh Ilyas, were tragically swept away by the rapidly rising floodwaters.
In a heroic act, local resident Vangal Ganesh, 30, bravely attempted to save them. However, all three were overpowered by the fierce currents and pulled into a treacherous open drain. Following an intensive search effort by police and other officials, their bodies were tragically recovered from a drain behind a local function hall near midnight.
Separately, a harrowing incident occurred when an autorickshaw, transporting seven schoolchildren from a tuition center, was swept away on a colony road adjacent to DIET College. The driver, unable to see a large ditch concealed by floodwaters, drove into it, causing the auto to be dragged into an overflowing drain. While quick-thinking locals managed to rescue six children, eight-year-old Yamini from Madhavaram village was tragically pulled under. Her body was discovered in the early hours of Saturday.
These twin tragedies plunged both residents and officials of Rayachoti into profound shock and sorrow. District Collector Nishant Kumar, accompanied by senior personnel from the Revenue and Police Departments, promptly visited the accident sites to oversee relief operations. The Collector announced that, in line with directives from the State Government, immediate financial assistance would be extended to the families who lost their loved ones.
Transport Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy, who also serves as Rayachoti’s MLA, swiftly arrived in the town to assess the grim situation firsthand. He is scheduled to visit the bereaved families to offer his condolences and support during this difficult time.
By early Saturday morning, the heavy rainfall in Annamayya district had finally eased. The district administration has since issued alerts to revenue officials at mandal and village levels, instructing them to closely monitor flood conditions near reservoirs and along the Bahuda river. Preparations are underway to facilitate timely evacuation of residents if water levels rise again.