At least two persons were killed on Tuesday in the severe cyclonic storm Murasu that wreaked havoc in Andhra Pradesh, destroying standing crops in over 52,000 hectares, damaging over 300 dwellings and power transmission lines, officials said.The cyclone, the second to hit the state within a week, made landfall in the early hours on Tuesday and brought standing crops in 15 districts under water, with Krishna, Bapatla and Nandyala districts being the most affected.Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall was witnessed in several areas ahead of the landfall. Thousands of trees were uprooted, and a total of 2,750 electricity poles were damaged.Power transmission lines, substations and critical distribution equipment have been damaged due to strong winds and heavy rainfall, officials said, adding that the impact was high in Prakasam and Bapatla districts.At least two persons died in cyclone-related incidents in the state, and 12,230 people continue to remain in cyclone shelters, said Prakhar Jain, managing director, Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA).As per preliminary estimates, Jain said, “The cyclone has inflicted a loss of at least Rs 344 crore to the southern state, affecting 52,459 hectares of crops.”As many as 312 houses were affected by the cyclone, and the government was monitoring 814 minor irrigation tanks and has put 776 of them on alert, Jain added.Some fishing boats were wrecked in Prakasam district, and vehicles were stranded on national highways, and motorists struggled to navigate due to poor visibility caused by heavy rainfall and gusty winds. The adverse weather conditions disrupted vehicular movement, leaving commuters stranded at several locations. Over 35 trains were cancelled, 14 were diverted, and eight were rescheduled, and a number of flights were also cancelled. — PTI