[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]At least 12 people have drowned and dozens of others are missing after a sightseeing boat capsized in Godavari River near Devipatnam in Andhra Pradesh’s East Godavari district on Sunday, September 15, rescue officials said.

The Royal Vasishta vessel was carrying 61 people – 50 passengers and 11 crew members, all of them Indian nationals – when it capsized on the Godavari River on Sunday (September 15), Andhra Pradesh state’s Home Minister Mekathoti Sucharita said.

A search operation was underway, with rescue teams including divers and a helicopter scouring the river to find the missing people, a senior police official said.

Twenty-four people have been rescued so far, while 25 others are missing, Sucharita said.

Sucharita said tour boats had been barred from operating on the route following the recent flooding of the river and it was not clear how the boat that capsized had managed to take out the tourists.

“Stern action will be taken against the culprits,” she told the Associated Press news agency.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy said he is reviewing the situation. He announced ₹10 lakh as ex gratia for the victims’ relatives and also ordered cancellation of licences of all boats operating in the river.

According to an official release from the chief minister’s office, the bodies of the deceased passengers were shifted to Rajahmundry hospital for post-mortem.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, in a tweet said he was “extremely pained” by the incident. 

“Extremely pained by the capsizing of a boat in Andhra Pradesh’s East Godavari. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. Rescue operations are currently underway at the site of the tragedy,” he tweeted.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Home minister Amit Shah also expressed grief over the “unfortunate” incident. “The loss of lives due to capsizing of a boat in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh is very unfortunate. I am deeply pained. My thoughts are with families of those who have lost their loved ones. May God give the bereaved families strength to withstand this tragic loss,” Shah said in a tweet.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that he hoped that those missing were safe. “I’m sorry to hear about the boat accident in the Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh. My deepest condolences to the families of those who have perished in this tragedy. I pray that all those reported missing will soon be accounted for and that they are safe,” he said on Twitter.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao also announced an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh to each of kin of victims from the state. At least 36 passengers on the boat were from Telangana, according to initial reports.

Telugu Desam Party president and former AP chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan also expressed shock over the tragedy.

Also Read: “Can’t harass people”: Telangana CM on new Traffic rule violation fines

Apart from tourists, residents in the area depend on boats and ferries to travel between villages on the banks of the Godavari.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

The post Dozens still missing after sight-seeing boat capsized in Godavari killing 12 appeared first on APN News.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Flood situation in different parts of the country is still grim as torrential rains, gusty winds and landslides left a trail of destruction. The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted heavy to very heavy rains in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Kerala for the next 24 hours.

In Maharashtra, despite a slight decrease in the intensity of rain, the situation still remains chaotic. Nine people drowned and five were missing after a boat engaged in rescue work overturned in Sangli on Thursday, said Deepak Mhaisekar, Divisional Commissioner of Pune. 

“Nine persons died and five are still missing when the private boat they were travelling in overturned at Bramhnal village in Sangli’s Palus taluka. The deceased include seven women, one man and one child,” he added.

Nineteen people on the boat swam to safety. Initial reports said that the boat was overcrowded. It had 35 people on board, though it could only carry 20 people, he added.

Meanwhile, teams of NDRF, Army and Navy continued evacuating people to safer locations in coordination with the local administration. The commandant of the 5th Battalion of NDRF, Anupam Shrivastava, said 28 teams had been deployed in western Maharashtra. “Of these, 23 are in Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur. Three more teams are being flown in.”

Around 10 Navy teams have been deployed in the region. As on Thursday, the Army has deployed 16 columns, 14 engineer task forces, including a para special force team in Kolhapur, Sangli and Raigad districts of Maharashtra and Bagalkot, Raichur, Belgaum and Kodagu districts of Karnataka.

Also Read: Ayodhya case in SC Day 4: Day-to-day hearing to continue, rules court

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday conducted an aerial survey to review the situation in Sangli and Kolhapur, the severely affected districts. 

In Gujarat, twenty-two gates of the Sardar Sarovar Dam were opened on Friday (August 9), first time after its installation in 2017, to maintain the water level at 131.18 metres. 

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel were present at the spot. The dam receives an average inflow of 6 lakh cusecs of water. Around one lakh cusecs of water was released on Friday morning.

In Karnataka, at least nine people were killed and as many as 237 villages in 32 taluks were affected after the water level in most rivers crossed the danger mark. 

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said that the Centre will extend all assistance to the state. “I am in constant touch with the Central government,” he said, adding that PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have been briefed on the rescue and relief efforts in Karnataka. 44,000 people have been evacuated from the flood-hit and rain-affected areas of the state and nine people have lost their lives.

Former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday also said all JD(S) legislators will donate a month’s salary to the for the relief work.

In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit Polavaram and Devipatnam regions in east and west Godavari districts, even as the water level at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowaleswaram crossed the second danger mark.

In Kerala, 14 people have died since Thursday (August 8) and over 22,000 have been evacuated to 315 relief camps.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sought the army’s help and additional 13 more units of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for the relief and rescue operations.

The CM said a 24-hour control room has been set up at the State Police headquarters to assist those affected by the rains. People affected can reach the emergency response centre by calling 112, he added.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi stepped in to help the people of his constituency and ensured that he would speak to PM Narendra Modi to see maximum help is extended to Wayanad. In Wayanad, a huge landslide at Meppadi has marooned around 2,000 people. A temple, mosque and estate workers quarters have collapsed in the area.

Also Read: A lady chartered accountant drags cop on car: Beats up journalist

 The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rains in the state till August 14. The department has issued red alert in 7 districts- Ernakulam, Idukki, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kannur and orange alert in 5 districts- Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Thrissur and Kasargod for tomorrow (August 10). 

The Kerala government had declared a holiday for all schools across the state for Friday and university examinations have been postponed in the affected districts.

With Cochin International Airport flooded, operations have been suspended till 3 pm on Sunday.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

The post Intense Monsoon Rain wreaks havoc in different parts of India appeared first on APN News.