Malkangiri: In a boat mishap, a 3-year-old baby girl drowned and seven persons went missing as two boats, on which they were returning home, capsized in Sileru river in Malkangiri district late Monday night.
According to a source, ten persons and a baby, all belonging to Kandhaguda and Gunthawada villages of Chitrakonda block, had gone to Andhra Pradesh to work at a brick kiln there. They were returning home on two boats Monday evening. Owing to inter-state travel restrictions due to Covid-19-induced lockdown, they had chosen the waterway.
As they were sailing smoothly, tragedy struck midway and one boat capsized due to some reasons. However, all the six occupants of the ill-fated boat managed to swim up to the second boat and got onto it.
Due to overload, the second boat also overturned. While three of the occupants managed to swim ashore, all the others went missing.
On being informed, Chitrakonda tehsildar, some administrative officials, ODRAF and fire department teams reached the spot and launched a rescue operation. Till last report came in, they only managed to fish out the child’s body and rescue operation was still underway for the rest missing persons.
PNN