Cyclone Murasu hits Andhra Pradesh coast causing widespread damage
The severe cyclonic storm caused heavy rainfall and strong winds in Prakasam and Bapatla districts, though no human casualties were reported.
Cyclone Murasu made landfall between Kothapatnam in Prakasam district and Chinaganjam in Bapatla district around 4 a.m. on Tuesday, according to The Hindu. The storm brought wind speeds of 120 kmph with gusts reaching nearly 150 kmph, resulting in uprooted trees, damaged electricity poles, and disrupted mobile networks.
Prakasam District Collector P. Raja Babu said the administration began evacuations on Monday after forecasts indicated the cyclone's path towards Ongole and Bapatla. More than 2,100 people were moved to relief shelters, including 137 pregnant women.
Ten deliveries were successfully completed in hospitals.
The storm caused significant infrastructure damage, including over 30 trees falling on Roads and Buildings (R&B) department roads and nearly 300 trees in eight villages. In Naguluppalapadu, approximately 90 electricity poles were damaged. One large tree at the Collectorate fell and hit a statue of Tanguturi Prakasam Panthulu.
Prakasam Superintendent of Police (SP) V. Harshavardhan Raju stated that police monitored coastal areas and conducted three rescue operations. While some trains were temporarily halted, vehicular movement on highways remained uninterrupted despite poor visibility.
Service providers have assured that mobile lines will be normalised once power is restored.
The Collector noted that 1,000 acres of paddy were waterlogged and some livestock deaths, including sheep, were reported. District Special Officer P. Ranjit Basha said restoration work is being expedited.
Normalcy is expected to be restored by Wednesday.