RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Two persons were feared drowned after a country boat carrying eight persons capsized in the Sileru river in East Godavari on Sunday morning. The other six passengers survived the accident as they swam back to the shore.
Efforts to trace the missing, identified as Batta Laxmayya (40) from Mangampadu and Naini Lingareddy (24) from Y Ramavaram Mandal, were underway till late in the evening. The mishap occurred in the district agency located around 150 kms away from Rajamahendravaram.
Additional superintendent of police Krishnakanth said all the eight passengers hail from Mangampadu and Telugu camp village (Y Ramavaram). They were returning home when the boat overturned in the middle of the Sileru. Six of them were able to swim back to the shore, police said.
The survivors were shifted to a medical camp in Mangampadu village. The country boat is said to be made at Gillamadugu village of Odisha. Y Ramavaram police said the rescue operation was going on and an investigation into the issue was underway.
Sileru river is a tributary of Sabari. It originates in AP and also flows through Odisha before merging with Sabari. In May last year, eight persons, all from Odisha, died after two country boats capsized in the river.