KURNOOL: Three members of a family were feared drowned after being swept away by the strong current of the Galeru-Nagari canal at Ramapuram village in Owk mandal of Nandyal district on Wednesday late evening.
The missing persons were identified as Aproz (36), his eight-year-old son Aarush and his brother-in-law Ashiq (32).
According to police, the family members had gone to the canal to watch the flow of water when Aarush reportedly lost his balance and fell into the canal. Aproz jumped into the canal in an attempt to rescue his son, while Ashiq also entered the water.
However, all three were swept away by the strong current. The canal was carrying around 3,200 cusecs of water when the incident occurred. Owk police, assisted by local residents, launched a search operation.
On Thursday, Roads & Buildings Minister BC Janardhan Reddy visited the spot and spoke to the officials about the rescue efforts. He met the family members and assured them of government support.
The minister directed officials to intensify the search by deploying expert swimmers, rescue personnel and NDRF teams. He expressed hope that the missing persons would be traced by evening.
Aproz and Ashiq were working as labourers at stone-cutting factories in Owk.