Indian rescuers search for 39 missing after boat accident
Eight bodies have been recovered, down from a previous tally of 12, after the accident on the Godavari river in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.
Relatives mourn the victims who died or disappeared in a boat accident at the Godavari river near Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh state, at Kadipikonda village in Warangal district of Telengana state on September 15, 2019. – At least 12 people drowned and dozens were missing after a tour boat capsized on an Indian river on September 15, police and local media reports said, as rescuers searched frantically for survivors. (Photo by STR / AFP)
Indian authorities were engaged in a major search and rescue operation Monday to find 39 people missing after their tour boat capsized in a fast-flowing swollen river.
Police told AFP that eight bodies have been recovered, down from a previous tally of 12, after the accident on the Godavari river in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.
The boat was carrying a total of 73 passengers, of whom 26 have been rescued, local police official Adnan Asmi said.
Almost 300 personnel using boats and a helicopter were engaged in the search operation on Monday including from the Indian Navy and the National Disaster Response Force.
Media reports said that a special diver team equipped with sonar equipment was expected to reach the spot later in the day from the northern state of Uttarakhand.
The vessel was heading to a popular picnic spot when it capsized. Local media reports said the Godavari river has been in spate for a week.
A report in the Times of India quoted a senior Andhra Pradesh minister as saying that the vessel had no licence or permission to carry tourists while the river was swollen.
Poor safety checks and overcrowding are major causes of boat tragedies in India, especially during the current monsoon season.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences.
Last week, a dozen people died in the central city of Bhopal after two boats capsized during celebrations to immerse an effigy of the Hindu god Ganesha into a lake.
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