HYDERABAD, India, 20 January 2007 — Daylong searches yesterday failed to yield any survivors of Thursday’s boat tragedy in the Krishna River in Andhra Pradesh. While 16 people swam to safety after the boat overturned, at least 65 people are still missing and are presumed drowned.
Kurnool district administrator M. Dana Kishore said the boat went down about 70 km from Srisailam Dam on the Krishna. Since the river passes through a gorge at this point, the currents are very strong,” Kishore said, explaining the high death toll. He said most of the victims were women and children.
The victims were traveling to a temple festival aboard the ageing timber vessel which began leaking and went down quickly, witnesses said.
Chief Minister Rajasekhar Reddy, who went to the scene of the accident immediately after his return from a visit to New Delhi, consoled the relatives of the missing and announced a relief package for them.
“The government will provide compensation of 200,000 rupees ($4,530) for each family of a deceased adult and 100,000 for each family of a deceased child. Each affected family will be allotted two acres of land and a house under Indira Awaas Yojana (housing scheme). Free education will be provided to the orphans. Another 50,000 rupees will be given to eligible families under Apathbandhu (group accident insurance) scheme,” the chief minister said.
