Balaji marines Kakinada to retrieve the capsized boat

Kakinada: District Collector D Muralidhar Reddy on Saturday said Balaji Marines, Kakinada will retrieve the boat that capsized on August 15 killing 36 people.

Some 15 persons are still missing in the ghastly accident that took place at Katchaluru in Devipatnam mandal.

Addressing media persons at the collectorate, Reddy said the decision to entrust the retrieval operations to Balaji marines was taken by a committee comprising officials from Port ,Navy, Irrigation department and fisheries department.

The committee has also decided that a sum of Rs 22.70 lakh will be paid to the Balaji marines to retrieve the boat using the sevices of Gulla Venkat Siva of Pasivedala in West Godavari district.

The collector said despite best efforts since the tragic day, 15 persons are yet to be traced. Twenty six people were rescued, he said. Reddy said, the NDRF, SDRF and ANS parties were on the job of searching the missing persons.

All the bodies of the deceased have been handed over to their relatives, he said. On the issue of death certificates, Village Secretary , Thunnuru in Devipatnam mandal was directed to issue certificates to their kith and kin.