Untimely rains and hailstorm in Andhra Pradesh have killed 18 persons and damaged agricultural and horticultural crops in 2.50 lakh hectares in the last two days. Paddy, maize, bengalgram and chillies suffered the maximum damage as rains lashed the coastal districts of Krishna, Guntur, Nellore, Prakasam and West Godavari districts. Several other districts too registered heavy rainfall, with the State averaged 22 mm rainfall in a span of two days. Prakasam district suffered most where agricultural crops in 50,000 hectares were damaged, followed by Guntur with 27,000 ha and 23,000 ha. Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of the dead and called for enumeration of the losses. He asked officials of the Revenue, Agriculture and Horticulture Departments to submit a detailed report in a week. He held a review meeting on Monday to take stock of the situation and discuss relief measures with the district collectors through video conference. A senior Government official said that the Chief Minister would visit the flood-affected areas in Adilabad and Karimnagar districts on Tuesday. “The Chief Minister asked the Indian Meteorology Department officials to evolve a proper and better mechanism to alert the Government machinery and people on such calamities,” he said.