The death toll has risen to 9 even as incessant rains under the influence of a depression continued to batter coastal Andhra Pradesh for the third consecutive day on Tuesday.

According to a spokesman of the Disaster Management Department, three deaths each were reported from the worst-hit Prakasam and Guntur districts and one each in East Godavari, West Godavari and Krishna districts.

As many as 12,719 families, comprising 47,960 people, were lodged in 161 relief camps.

As per preliminary reports, 1,206 houses were fully damaged and 1,834 houses were partly damaged in the affected coastal districts.

The assessment of damages to crops as well as public infrastructure such as minor irrigation tanks, roads, power installations etc, is yet to be taken up.   

Hyderabad Meteorological Centre Director Dr M Satya [Images] Kumar told rediff.com that though the depression weakened further and it is like a trough now, heavy rains are continuing in Guntur, Krishna, East and West Godavari districts.

"The system is near Krishna district. It has considerably weakened. Heavy rains are likely to continue in the four districts. Moderate to heavy rains are likely at most places in coastal AP and fairly widespread rains in interior Telangana and Rayalaseema regions," he pointed out.

Most places in coastal Andhra recorded very heavy rains in the last 24 hours.

The highest rainfall of 55 cm was reported in Gudivada, followed by 34 cm in Machilipatnam and 32 cm in Avanigadda in Krishna district and 22 cm in Narsapur in West Godavari district.