Live
- Air pollution may raise risk of lung cancer, asthma in children, say experts
- Yashoda Medicity organizes “Crown of Courage” ceremony to honor Cancer Survivors
- NCB, Gujarat ATS seize 500 Kg of drugs in joint op in Porbandar
- Senior citizens of all states to get 25pc bus fare concession in Andhra
- India’s total exports likely to surpass $800 billion in coming months: Industry
- Almost half of injury-related hospitalisations in Australia caused by falls: Report
- Tribals ignored by past regimes, remain top priority in NDA govt: PM Modi in Jamui
- South Korea: Opposition leader sentenced to suspended prison term for violating election law
- Ajinkya Rahane to lead Mumbai in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
- My thought process and motivation have always been team first: KL Rahul ahead of IPL 2025 auction
Survivors blame apathy of officials, drama by politicos
The survivors and witnesses of Sunday’s boat accident at Ibrahimpatnam blame the administration and politicians for the disaster. They alleged that the tourism department officials sent them in the boat, though they did not have even life jackets.
Ongole: The survivors and witnesses of Sunday’s boat accident at Ibrahimpatnam blame the administration and politicians for the disaster. They alleged that the tourism department officials sent them in the boat, though they did not have even life jackets. Even after the accident, the officials took about 40 minutes to launch rescue operations, they alleged. The political drama after the rescue personnel rescued them delayed the process of shifting the victims to the hospital, they said.
Sharing the nightmarish experience with media, Vaka Ramanamma, Ganta Venkates warlu and his wife Tulasi said they had taken the boat ride from Punnami Ghat to Pavitra Sangamam to watch the Pavitra Harathi. “We asked the tourist department for the boat, but they said no boat can be arranged at that time. But they suggested to take the private boat available at the jetty. We reached the boat and were shocked to know that they are demanding Rs 300 per person, which is just Rs 60 in the government boat service.
But 32 of our 62 members agreed and boarded the boat. When asked for life jackets, which are being provided in government boat, the operators said they had none. While reaching the Ferry ghat, the boat started leaning to one side and at the same time the driver turned the boat in the same direction. Within fraction of a second, we were in water and the boat capsized. We were in the water for nearly 40 minutes hanging to rods of the boat before help reached us. We thank the fishermen for responding first and the onlookers for alerting them,” they said.
M Venkata Rao, who didn’t board the boat and was waiting on the ghat, said they were calling for help while watching their friends drowning. Though the fishermen and others brought a few of the victims to the ghat, they were unconscious and there was no help from the officials immediately to shift them to the hospital and get water out of their bellies. “At the same time, politicians started a drama blaming each other and distracting the attention of officials arrived there. It is the reason for people like Bhulakshmi lost their lives in hospital on Monday. If they were sent early to the hospital without political drama, they would have lived today,” Venkata Rao said.
