A Perspective on Vizag
One person dead, 11 feared drowned
Visakha City, January 31, 2010
One person died and 11 others are feared drowned on Sunday when they went for a picnic in two country boats in Tandava reservoir in Golugonda mandal in Visakhapatnam district. Two persons had a miraculous escape. The group which came to attend the village festival at Ammapeta set off in two basket shaped boats popularly known as putti by trying one another with a rope.
The tragedy occurred when all the persons shifted from one putti after spotting a snake coming towards them. The overcrowded putti sank while two survived by clinging to other putti. Superintendent of Police Vineet Brijjal who rushed to the spot said that a naval team had been requisitioned along with two helicopters to undertake rescue operation. The body of one person was found in the afternoon and the incident occurred around 11am.
Friends and relatives of the people from Ammapeta came in large number to take part in local deity's annual festival. The missing persons belonged to Pakalapadu, Kothamalammapeta, Ammapeta, Ramannapalem and Golugonda, Kotavartla and Narsipatnam mandals. The Superintend of Police said that rescue operations would continue till late in the night.