Rescue team face challenging task to continue search in night

Rescue teams are facing a challenging task of retrieving the bodies of the boat accident victims in Godavari as the light failed about 6.30 p.m. Four teams, two each from SDRF and NDRF were pressed into service to take up rescue operations after the launch drowned in Godavari river in Devipatnam mandal in East Godavari on Sunday afternoon. The rescue teams reached the accident site about 4.30 p.m. which is about three hours after the mishap took place about 1.30 pm. on Sunday.

The most difficult problem being faced by the rescue teams is tracing the bodies in the night when five lakh cusecs of flood water was gushing in the river. The rescue teams have to search 60 to 80 km distance, which is not an easy task in the night. The rescue teams could not see the bodies in the darkness. Of the 61 passengers and crew boarded the launch, nearly 25 survived the mishap and reached the shore. There is no information about the missing. Nearly 12 bodies were retrieved from the river by evening.

Tracking the boat in the flood water is another big task. It is feared that the bodies of the accident victims could be trapped in the boat. It is unclear that the bodies of the victims is in the boat or washed away in the flood waters. The SDRF and NDRF teams are equipped with technology to trace the boat under the water. But, light failure has hampered the work. Moreover, the officials are planning to arrange nets at the Davaleswaram to halt the bodies towards washed away into the sea. Davaleswaram barrage gates were already closed to check the bodies from washing away in the flood waters. Helicopter belongs to ONGS also tried to find the survivors or the drowned boat passengers and crew also tried to help the survivors and missing boat passengers.