Hyderabad: More than 60 people were feared drowned as a boat capsized on river Krishna in Mahabubnagar district in Andhra Pradesh, 180 km southwest of the state capital, Hyderabad, on Thursday.
About 60 to 65 villagers were travelling in the boat when the mishap occurred in the middle of the river near Munchalkatta in Mahabubnagar district, according to official sources.
Fishermen rescued fifteen people, and the search is operation is on for missing persons, including women and children, Mahabubnagar police said.
The victims, all hailing from Kurnool district, were crossing the river in the boat to participate in a local temple fair at Singotam in Mahabubnagar district, police said.
The district authorities have taken all steps to search for the missing persons and a number of fishermen from surrounding areas have been called to help in the operations, revenue officials said.
The district's top police officer, K Srinivas Reddy said that 66 people, including 36 women and children, were missing and feared drowned. Divers and helicopters were scouring the river for bodies.
State Home Minister K Jana Reddy expressed shock over the incident. He said that revenue and police personnel have already reached the spot and all measures have been taken to rescue the missing persons.
Reddy urged the district-in charge ministers Konatala Ramakrishna and G Vinod to rush to the accident site and supervise the rescue operations.
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