Godavari boat tragedy: Two Navy helicopters join search operation

A view of the tourist boat before it capsized in the swollen Godavari river in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. Pic/ PTI

East Godavari (Andhra Pradesh): Two helicopters and eight boats were pressed into rescue and search operation early morning on Monday in the incident in which a tourist boat ferrying 61 passengers capsized in Godavari River near Devipatnam on Sunday afternoon. As many as 11 people have reportedly lost their lives in the accident. 27 people survived the tragedy and were brought to safety, the state Diasaster Management Authority (SDMA) said in a release late tonight.

The boat named 'Royal Vasishth' was on it's way carrying the passangers to a tourist spot in the middle of the river where it collided with a large rock formation at Kachchuluru in East Godavari District, about 200 km from Amaravati. As per an update from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) a search operation is being conducted which was followed by a rescue operation that started at 5:45 hours on Monday morning. Further, gates of Dowleswaram Barrage have been closed as the search operation is going there.

Also Read: Boat capsizes in Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh, 11 dead

Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy on Yesterday announced Rs 10 lakh as ex-gratia for bereaved families and asked for a complete report on the incident. All the boating services in the region have been suspended. PM Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the situation and sent his condolences to the families.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates