VIJAYAWADA: Despite the inclimate weather and increasing flood levels in Godavari river, search and rescue operations are continuing for the seven people including six girls, who were fear drowned in the boat mishap near Pasuvula Lanka of I Polavaram mandal in East Godavari district on Saturday.
NDRF, SDRF, Navy divers resumed the rescue and search operations at 5 a.m on Sunday morning. From the accident spot to Yanam located at downstream, different teams of nearly 200 personnel are searching. District Collector Karthikeya Mishra and Superintendent of Police Vishal Gunni are monitoring the search operations.
Though the chances of survival of those seven appear slim, officials say the will continue the rescue operations. “Heavy rains since morning and increasing flood levels are hampering the efforts. However, we are continuing our search and rescue operations,” SDRF officials supervising the operations said.
On Saturday evening, a country boat which was ferrying around 32 passengers from Pasuvula Lanka to Saladivaripalem Lanka capsized, when it hit a concrete pillar of a bridge under construction. Locals and workers engaged in the construction of the bridge rescued several, but six girls and a woman were found missing. They were feared drowned and rescue operations were conducted till late night on Saturday.
According to officials, the missing persons were identified as Kondepudi Ramya (13), Polisetti Veeramanisha (15), Sunkara Sreeja (15), Tirupati Priya Bhairava Murthy (13), Polisetti Anusha Macharao (14), Polisetti Suchitra Macharao (12) Galla Nagamani (35).
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is monitoring the situation from Amaravati, while Home Minister Nimmakayala Chinna Rajappa is camping at Yanam to oversee the search and rescue operations.