Overcrowded boat sinks, 3 drown Nizampatnam, Dec 1 (INN): Two teachers and one education volunteer were feared drowned while 31 others were rescued when their overcrowded boat sank in the Nizampatnam port in Guntur district on Wednesday. According to sources, the victims have been identified as Udaya Lakshmi, Murali Krishna and Ravi, who were all attached to the Zilla Parishad High School in Nizampatnam. Their bodies are yet to be retrieved from the waters.
According to police, the teachers and others had come to Vana Bhojanam to mark Karthika month. Around 34 persons had boarded the boat, brushing aside the boat-owners pleas. The ill-fated boat was said to have the capacity to accommodate only 26 persons. The boat sunk after making its way just some distance from the shore, the police said. Fishermen active in the vicinity immediately jumped in the waters and managed to save 31 passengers of the ill-fated boat. Some locals also took part in the rescue attempt. The three victims were noticed to be missing after the rescued visitors were taken to the shore and a headcount taken. A massive search operation has been launched with the help of trained divers to trace the bodies.
News Posted: 1 December, 2010
|