A tragic boat accident in the Krishna River claimed the lives of four people, including two children, on Sunday afternoon. The incident occurred at Konuru village in Acchampet mandal of Palnadu district when a leisure boat capsized.
Victims Identified
Police identified the deceased as Gandham Shiny (8) and Gandham Sandhya (10), both from Konuru village; Gonapam Chaitanya (24) from Chilakaluripet; and Bathula Karthik (25) from Marrichettupalem in Palnadu district.
Details of the Accident
According to Atchampeta police inspector Srinivasa Rao, fisherman Gandham Gangaiah's family of ten had embarked on a boat ride to a nearby island and was returning home when the accident occurred. The boat, owned by the family, lost balance, causing all occupants to fall into the river. Local residents managed to rescue six family members, but four went missing. A police search operation later recovered the four bodies.
The inspector stated, "The accident occurred around 12:30 pm following a pivot turn as the boat neared the riverbank, leading all those on board to fall into the river."
Post-Mortem and Investigation
The bodies have been shifted to the local government hospital for post-mortem examination. A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway.
Government Response
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed grief over the deaths. Reviewing the situation from Singapore, he held a teleconference with the Palnadu collector and senior officials to assess rescue and relief operations. He announced an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh each for the kin of the deceased and directed district authorities to ensure immediate disbursement of compensation.
Naidu also ordered a comprehensive inquiry into the incident by a team comprising officials from the revenue, police, and irrigation departments. He instructed them to submit a detailed report and recommend measures to prevent such mishaps in the future.
