Rescue personnel missing after boats capsize in Khammam district
Multiple rescue workers went missing on Wednesday after two boats overturned in the swollen Bethupalli irrigation tank in Telangana.
Rescue personnel went missing on Wednesday after two boats capsized in the swollen Bethupalli irrigation tank in the Sathupalli mandal of Khammam district, according to reports from The Hindu, Telangana Today and Deccan Chronicle.
The incident occurred while teams were attempting to evacuate fishermen who had become stranded in floodwaters following torrential rains. The boats, carrying personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire Services, and local guides, reportedly overturned due to strong winds, powerful currents, and undercurrents.
The number of missing personnel is reported differently by various sources, with estimates ranging from nine to 11 people. The rescue mission was launched after fishermen entered the reservoir to fix nets and became marooned as water levels rose.
Khammam Collector Divakara T.S. and Sathupalli MLA Matta Ragamayi arrived at the site to supervise the emergency operations. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy reviewed the crisis and ordered officials to make every effort to locate the missing personnel, while Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju was tasked with coordinating the response.
Search and rescue efforts included the deployment of NDRF teams from Bhadrachalam and the use of drones to air-drop life jackets. While the rescue teams faced difficulties, the stranded fishermen were reported to be safe or out of immediate danger.
The flooding also caused water from the Bethupalli tank to flow into the Veshyakanthala tank, inundating a nearby double-bedroom housing complex and forcing residents to move to relief centres.