Visakhapatnam: Of the 71 people on the capsized boat in Godavari river near Devipatnam going to Papikondalu from Gandipochamma temple on Sunday afternoon, 12 were members of a group from Vizag. Only one of them was rescued and the others are still missing.
Among them, eight belonged a single family.
According to sources, the names of missing members include M Ramana Babu, M. Aruna Kumari, M. Akilesh, 9, M. Kushali, 5, and M Pushpa, 15, from Ramalakshmi Colony near King George Hospital, T. Appala Narsamma, 50, Geetha Vyshnavi, 5, and Ananya, 3, from Arilova Colony and B. Dalleamma, 35, B. Susmitha, 4, and B. Poorna, 23, from Anakapalle.
B, Lakshmi from Vepagunta was rescued by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team, according to district revenue officer (DRO) M. Sridevi who is in contact with East Godavari district control room. The victims reportedly left the city on early on Sunday for Rajahmundry.
They were on the way to Bhadrachalam in the boat. The NDRF teams were trying to rescue the missing people. State minister of roads and buildings Dharmana Krishna Das expressed solidarity with the family members of the victims of the boat tragedy. Naval Dornier along with naval diving team, inflatable Gemini boat and associated equipment have been dispatched from Naval Air Station, INS Dega to Rajahmundry on Sunday evening. Based on request from state administration, the naval diving team joined the search operation for the missing people from the capsized tourist boat. Two naval helicopters have also been deployed from INS Dega that would start work with first light on Monday morning to join the search operation along with the NDRF, SDRF and civil authorities.
