Search operations continue on sixth day, in vain

Rajamahendravaram:  The searching operations in river Godavari to trace the remaining three girl students not yet completed. The search operations on the sixth day on Friday did not yield any results as they could not trace the bodies.   

The three girls, along with four others, drowned in river Godavari in a boat capsize at Pasuvulalanka of I Polavaram mandal in East Godavari district on July 14th. The search operations are continuing at Yanam and Yetimoga centres in the river. The teams are searching in a radius of 30 kms between Pasuvulalanka and the sea mouth at Bhairavapalem. The rescue teams are facing problems to go into mangroves.

The officials are taking the help of fishermen who are well aware of the  velocity of water flow in the river.  Sometimes, the bodies may stuck in the river bed for many days if it is sweet water and float in the surface if it is salt water. The parents of the three girl students are waiting at Pasuvulalanka ferry.  

Speaking to The Hans India, Amalapuram Revenue Divisional Officer BV Ramana said that as many as 25 teams in 20 boats with 550 crew of NDRF, SDRF, SPF, Fire and fishermen are participating in the search operations.

A decision will be taken to continue search operations or not on from Sunday, he added. Meanwhile, the inclement weather on Friday also posed problem to the searching teams.

If the bodies stuck in mangroves it is an diffucult task to findout them and any how, the teams are putting their endeavour to trace out the missing students even in bad weather.

The whereabouts of the students Polisetti Anusha, Suchitra and Kondepudi Ramya of Serilanka yet to be traced. Sofar bodies of three girl students and one housewife was recovered.

One fisherman S Dharma Rao opined that the bodies may drift into the sea as six days passed. He advised the searching teams to search at the sea mouth in depth. The water flows into the sea at Yanam with high speed as the sea is very near to it.

Polisetti Veera Manisha (ninth class) has said that some persons saved me while drowning into the river and from three years we are commuting on the country boat to goto the school in Pasuvullanka.