Tandava boat mishap: Search on for 10 missing persons

A team of Navy divers today launched extensive search operations to trace 10 persons who went missing after a country-made boat capsized in Tandava reservoir in Andhra Pradesh.

The mishap occurred yesterday when 14 villagers of Ammapeta in Golugonda mandal in Visakhapatnam were returning in a country-made boat after worshipping a local deity on a hillock.

The seven-member team launched searches in the reservoir this morning for the missing persons -- mostly children aged between 10-12 -- with the help of villagers, Visakhapatnam Rural SP Vineet Brijlal, who is supervising the operation, told PTI.

Bodies of two girls have been fished out from the reservoir while searches are on for 10 others, who are feared drowned, he said, adding two persons swam to safety yesterday.

As the boat was passing through the Tandava reservoir, one of the passengers saw a snake in the vessel which led to panic among others and all of them went on one side, as a result of which the boat capsized, he said, quoting one of the survivors.