At least 17 people have been reported dead and over 100 washed away in floods following incessant rains in Andhra Pradesh, officials said on Saturday.
On Friday night, three children and an elderly woman died after an old three-storey building collapsed due to heavy rains in the town of Kadiri (Anantapur District) in Andhra Pradesh.
National and state disaster relief teams have been carrying out rescue operations in full swing to search for four people who are reportedly trapped under the rubble.
On Friday, at least 12 people reportedly lost their lives and 18 others went missing after three buses were stuck in floods triggered by heavy rains in the Kadapa District of Andhra Pradesh.
While some were rescued by local residents, others are feared to have been washed away.
Police personnel, national and state disaster management teams, firefighters, and swimmers have been working to find and rescue missing people.
Several pilgrims stuck in the massive flood are also being rescued, while many devotees in the Rajampet area of Kadapa have reportedly been washed away. Three bodies were later recovered near the village of Nandaluru.
Due to heavy rains, a rise in the water level of the Swarnamukhi and Chitravati rivers has led to the overflowing of reservoirs and flooded several places nearby.
In another incident, 10 more people stranded near the Chitravati River in Andhra Pradesh were airlifted by an Indian Air Force chopper on Friday.
Apart from Andhra Pradesh, heavy rains have also caused disruptions in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The flash floods have led to major loss of life, damage to property and roads at many places, and rail, road, and air traffic have come to a halt.
On Friday, nine people, including four children, died after a wall collapsed due to heavy rainfall in the Vellore District of Tamil Nadu.
In Kerala's Pathanamthitta, the pilgrimage to the Pamba and Sabarimala temples have been prohibited because of rising water levels in the Pamba River.
Videos of houses being submerged in floods and washed away, trees uprooted, and damaged roads and vehicles have been making the rounds on the internet.
Meanwhile, the states' chiefs have issued relief funds and ex gratia to the families of those lost in the incident or who have suffered major injuries. Rescue teams are also working to help those stuck in the massive floods.