Probe from all angles, Jagan tells officials

Rajamahendravaram: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy undertook an aerial survey of the boat accident spot at Kachhuluru in East Godavari district on Monday. He also visited the hospital where the survivors were undergoing treatment.

The Chief Minister reviewed with district collector and other officials on how the incident occurred. He is said to have expressed his ire over the officials for having failed to control the movement of the private boats while the Tourism boats have been withdrawn from service.

He asked the officials to conduct a thorough investigation into the accident and submit a report within three weeks. He said that measures should be taken to ensure that such incidents do not recur.

He also asked the government to amend the GO pertaining to permissions to private boats and said that stern action would be taken if anyone indulges in such acts in future.

Jagan consoled the patients and inquired from the doctors about the treatment being given to the survivors. He asked the doctors to give the best of treatment and assured the survivors that the government would extend all necessary help to them.

Andhra Pradesh Ministers Mekathoti Sucharitha, Taneti Vanitha, Kurasala Kanna Babu, along with the Telangana Ministers Errabelli Dayakar Rao and Puvvada Ajay Kumar accompanied the Chief Minister to visit the survivors in the hospital. Many of the victims were from Hyderabad and Warangal in Telangana.

Meanwhile, toll in the boat tragedy in Andhra Pradesh rose to 14 with the recovery of four more bodies, including that of an infant, on Monday morning, official sources said.

With 19 more persons missing, extensive search operations were being carried out by Indian Navy, NDRF, SDRF and state authorities.

While bodies of eight passengers were recovered from the river till Sunday night, another four were retrieved at the accident spot at Kachhuluru in East Godavari district on Monday morning, sources in the State Disaster Management Authority here said.

While bodies of eight passengers were recovered from the river till Sunday night, another four were retrieved at the accident spot at Kachhuluru in East Godavari district on Monday morning, sources in the State Disaster Management Authority here said.