Hyderabad, June 9 (IANS) Two youths died of electrocution as the first heavy rain of the Southwest Monsoon lashed Hyderabad on Tuesday evening.

The youths, identified as Zafar, 25, and Abu, 16, died after being electrocuted during heavy rains in the old city.

The incident occurred in the Bandlaguda area when they stepped out of an auto-rickshaw and came in contact with live wires under the standing water on the road.

The electric wire had snapped due to strong winds and heavy rains.

Heavy rains and thunderstorms lashed Hyderabad and its surroundings, resulting in traffic jams at several places.

There was waterlogging on several key roads in central Hyderabad, Secunderabad, the IT corridors of Madhapur and Gachibowli, and the suburbs, resulting in traffic jams.

Disaster Response Force (DRF), traffic police personnel, employees of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Hyderabad Disaster Management and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) were seen clearing water stagnation.

There was also massive waterlogging at Nayani Narasimha Reddy Steel Bridge, one of the longest flyovers in the city, due to heavy rainfall.

Police officers were on-site, monitoring the situation and regulating traffic to ensure commuter safety and smooth vehicular movement.

Traffic police advised commuters to drive cautiously, maintain a safe distance from other vehicles, avoid sudden braking, and follow the instructions of traffic officials.

Waterlogging was also reported on the ramp of the Shaikpet bridge, which connects the Toli Chowki area to the IT corridor.

Police and HYDRAA teams were present at the location and taking necessary measures to clear the water and ensure smooth traffic flow.

There was a heavy downpour in Himayatnagar, Secretariat and surrounding areas in the central part of the city.

Waterlogging was reported at several places, including the BRK Bhavan near Secretariat and at Karbala Maidan in Secunderabad, Radisson Junction in the IT corridor, near Pillar No. 265 of the PVNR Expressway, and the PNR Building in Kukatpally.

Huge traffic jams were seen in Madhapur, Gachibowli, Miyapur, Raidurgam and other places in and around the IT hub.

An old arch collapsed in the Chattbazar area in the Old City. There were no casualties.

Tree falls were reported from 80 places in the city due to strong winds. The municipal workers were busy removing the fallen trees.

HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath visited rain-affected areas. He monitored work to clear waterlogging and fallen trees near the Tank Bund.

Several areas received heavy rainfall in less than two hours. Bansilalpet received the highest rainfall of 8.7 centimetres. Vithalwadi and Himayatnagar recorded 7.8 cm of rainfall, while Vidyanagar received 7.3 cm of rainfall.

–IANS

ms/vd