13 dead as dinghy capsizes in Anantapur

Amaravati: As many as 13 persons, including six children, drowned in a stream near Guntakal in Anantapuramu district of Andhra Pradesh as the dinghy they were riding in capsized this evening.

Three girls from the group swam to safety while one boy is still missing. To add to the tragedy, a swimmer suffered a heart attack and died while trying to rescue the victims, the police said.

The victims were related to each other and some of them belonged to the same family. Seven women were killed in the accident.

The government would pay an ex-gratia of Rs three lakh and Rs one lakh each to the kin of adult victims and children, respectively, Andhra Pradesh Information and Public Relations Minister Kalva Srinivasulu said here.

Bodies of the deceased were fished out and taken to Guntakal hospital for autopsy. Steps would be taken to prevent such mishaps in future, the minister said.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed grief over the incident. Naidu spoke to the Anantapuramu district collector and the superintendent of police.

Overcrowding was suspected to be the cause of the accident, police said.

The incident occurred at Yerra Timmaraju Vagu near Guntakal when over 17 persons, who had come to a function in the village this afternoon, took the dinghy for a ride in the stream.

They didnt take local fishermen who operate these dinghies with them as the relatives wanted to go in a group, police said.