19 killed as boat capsizes in Vijayawada

The death toll in Sunday’s boat capsize in Andhra Pradesh’s Krishna district rose to 19 as three more bodies were recovered from Krishna river on Monday, police said.

The search was on for two missing persons.

The overloaded boat of a private operator carrying 42 tourists capsized near Ibrahimpatnam Ferry Ghat near here on Sunday evening.

The tourists, majority of them hailing from Ongole town, were coming from Bhavani Island to Pavitra Sangamam, or holy confluence of Krishna and Godavari rivers to witness ‘Maha haarathi’ ritual on the last Sunday of the auspicious month of ‘Karthika’.

Local fishermen and rescue workers saved 21 persons.