Two youths drown in Jonnada sand ramp

KAKINADA: Indiscriminate sand mining on the bed of River Godavari claimed the lives of two youths on Sunday evening near the Jonnada sand ramp in Alamuru mandal of Dr B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district.

According to police, six youths had gone to the river to take a bath, expecting the water level to be very low because of peak summer. But when they entered the water, they found themselves in a deep sand pit. They caught hold of each other’s arms in an attempt to save themselves.

Four of them succeeded but two – Geddada Kiran Kumar (22) of Kothapeta and Moturi Trilok (18) of Peddapalem in Ayinavilli mandal – drowned.

At the time of the incident, 12 JCB machines and 50 lorries had been at the spot mining the sand. But after the drowning incident, all the vehicles vanished from the spot.

Parents and relatives of the deceased, as well as the local people, have blamed indiscriminate sand mining for the drowning. They are not allowing the police to take the bodies from the spot for post-mortem.

Alamuru police station in-charge and Ravulapalem SI M. Venkata Ramana is holding discussions with the agitators.