The death toll in the boat capsize tragedy in the Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh has touched 34. Search operations to find 12 missing persons still underway. The boat with 73 people onboard capsized on Sunday afternoon.
Amaravati: Days after a boat capsized in the Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh, the bodies of six more tourists were fished out on Wednesday, taking the death toll to 34. Search operations are still ongoing to find 12 missing persons.
Officials said while five bodies were retrieved from Devipatnam near the accident site, another body was found downstream.
Deep divers from the Indian Navy, two teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), three teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and fire personnel were pressed into rescue operations.
A private tourist boat that was carrying 73 people including eight crew members capsized near Kuchuluru village on Sunday afternoon.
According to officials, villagers in the locality rescued as many as 27 people. Twelve bodies were found on Sunday and Monday while 16 bodies were pulled out of the river on Tuesday.
The incident has forced the state government to order a detailed magisterial probe into the accident.
Meanwhile, personnel from Uttarakhand's disaster management department traced the boat with the help of their sonar equipment. According to the deep divers, the boat is at a depth of 70-80 meters.
Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy instructed officials to take corrective measures. He has also announced Rs 10 lakh as ex-gratia to the families of the victims who died in the boat tragedy.
Jagan conducted an aerial survey of Sunday's boat accident site in the Godavari river. The chief minister flew in a helicopter over Kuchuluru in East Godavari district where the boat capsized.
Last Updated Sep 19, 2019, 2:25 PM IST