 A
petrol truck is stuck in floodwaters after heavy rains in Hyderabad,
India, on Thursday
HYDERABAD,
India (AP) -- Four days of torrential monsoon rains ceased Friday,
leaving 125 people dead, 25 missing and 100,000 homeless, said
officials in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
The rains
and flash floods knocked down utility poles, damaged roads and
caused a serious drinking water problem in the coastal state.
Chief Minister
N. Chandrababu Naidu, the state's top elected official, said after
visiting flooded areas late Thursday that the situation was "frightening."
Air force helicopters and army battalions were leading rescues
of marooned people in Hyderabad, the state capital.
Such heavy
rains were unprecedented in the city known for its thriving computer
software industry.
"First
we did not get the correct forecast from the meteorological department,
which had said that there would be 5 centimeters (2 inches) of
rainfall," Naidu told reporters.
By Wednesday,
the storm had brought 24 centimeters (9.5 inches) to Hyderabad.
"Even
if we had got the correct information, it would not be possible
for anybody to face this sort of a situation on a notice of a
few hours," Naidu said.
More than
90 neighborhoods in Hyderabad were submerged under 5 to 15 feet
(1.5 to 4.5 meters) of water and hundreds of people were stranded
on rooftops. A bridge in the heart of the city was damaged.
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