One dead, seven missing after two boats capsize in Andhra’s Sileru river

By Express News Service

VISAKHAPATNAM:  One child died and seven others, all migrant workers from Odisha state, were feared drowned when two country boats capsized in Sileru river in the district on Monday midnight.

Three people swam to their safety.

All the victims, who were migrant labourers from Kondukuda in Malkangiri district in Odisha, reached Sileru from Hyderabad. They chose water route as they feared they may be stopped at the border of Odisha in view of the restrictions imposed by the neighbouring State to prevent the movement of people from other places to contain the spread of covid-19.

According to reports reaching here, around 35 workers reached Sileru from Hyderabad and set off in five country boats to cross over to Odisha.

When the first country boat capsized, some of the occupants tried to catch hold of the second country boat but the second boat also overturned. While three of

them swam to shore eight others have gone missing. The body of a child was recovered by local villagers on Tuesday morning and authorities have launched a search operation to trace the remaining seven missing persons.

Meanwhile, minister for health Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas asked the district authorities to take up rescue operations. He also asked the officials to ensure proper treatment to the victims.

Expressing shock and grief over the incident, the minister asked the Viskahapatnam district collector and superintendent of police to speed up the rescue and relief operations.