Flood toll in Andhra, Karnataka rises to 275

Flood waters were receding in all but some villages in Andhra Pradesh's Krishna and Guntur districts and in Karnataka on Tuesday as the toll due caused by the receding monsoon in the states rose to 275.

Officials said there were no rains in the two states and relief and rescue operations were on. The number of deaths in the rain and flash flood havoc in Karnataka climbed to 212 with six more bodies being recovered from Kaduwad near Karwar in Uttara Kannada district, the scene of the landslide that buried eight houses last week during the rains. As many as 19 people were feared to have been buried alive in the incident, of which 11 bodies

have been recovered.

In Andhra Pradesh, over 16,45,000 people have been affected by the floods. Officials said 3,66,138 people were taking shelter in 294 relief camps. Flood waters remained in only some villages in Krishna and Guntur districts and the water would recede fast, officials said. There were no fresh deaths and the toll in the state stood at 63. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would make an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka on Friday. In Karnataka, the number of houses collapsed or damaged in the havoc has been officially put at 2,98,713. A total of 1,619 relief camps have been opened, sheltering 6,59,971 people.