FARMER COLLAPSES ON HIS FIELD, DIES OF SHOCK AFTER CYCLONE PHETHAI DESTROYS CROPS

A farmer in Andhra Pradesh collapsed and died in his field, shocked due to the devastation caused to his crops by Cyclone Phethai.

In a heart-wrenching image share on social media, Gottipally Chinnarao's body is seen in his flooded field, surrounded by a group of farmers.

According to doctors, the 69-year-old paddy farmer from Srikakulam district died of a heart attack. He had gone to the field to break the bunds, tackle waterlogging and save his rotting ready-to-sell harvest, but could not bear the shock when he saw the damaged paddy.

Chinnarao has 3 sons and a daughter. "My father suffered losses in the earlier cyclone too. The harvest was bundled and ready but got completely wet. He tried to save the crop but collapsed and died," said his son Kameswar.

Chinnarao was growing crop on two acres and all of it was destroyed. "His three sons and daughter were not into agriculture because it is not sustainable. They all migrated to Chennai and Hyderabad. Flooding destroyed the crop. So government should help," said another farmer in the area.