Boat Overturns : 11 dead, Several others feared drowned

Boat Overturns : 11 Dead, Several Others Feared Drowned….

11 people died and several others were feared drowned when the boat carrying them capsized in Krishna River near Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday evening, the police said.

According to initial reports, the boat was ferrying 38 passengers from Bhavani Island to Pavitra Sangamam near Ibrahimpatnam on the outskirts of Vijayawada for a religious festival on Karthika Masam.

The boat, owned by a private agency, overturned as it approached the ferry point around 5.45pm. As many as 20 passengers wearing life jackets were brought ashore with the help of trained swimmers and local fishermen.

According to the latest report, five bodies were recovered from the river. Bad light is understood have hampered the rescue operations.

Report says that the boat was carrying 38 passengers as against its capacity of 24.
The Tourism Department of Andhra Pradesh has given permission for private agencies to operate boats to Bhavani Island regularly.

However, locals have alleged that many boats do not have sufficient number of life jackets and carry more passengers than their actual capacity.