Rescue ops fail, Telugu reporter washed away in floodwater not found

KARIMNAGAR: The rescue operation that lasted for more than 20 hours to find the television reporter who was washed away in the floodwater while trying to cross the flooded road in a car in Bornapally village of Raikal mandal in Jagtial district did not yield results.

On Tuesday evening, the reporter identified as Zameeruddin was working for a Telugu news channel along with his friend Irshad. They went to Bornapalli village in a car to cover the news of nine farm labourers who were stranded on the island called Kurra in the middle of the Godavari river.

While they were returning from the village and trying to cross the culvert in the car, they were stuck on the flooded road between Ramojipet and Bhupathipur villages and were washed away in the water along with the car.

Zameeruddin's friend Irshad who managed to escape from the car, reached Ramojipet village and informed the locals, who in turn conveyed the information to officials.

The officials who rushed to the spot with expert teams carried out a rescue operation. They continued the operation for more than 20 hours using large cranes. The officials even pressed the NDRF teams and expert swimmers into service to find the car and missing reporter. But all their efforts went in vain. They could not find either the car or the reporter until Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, the locals informed that there were many farm wells in both villages and the car which was washed away might have been stuck deep in the farm wells and could be found once the flood water subsided after the rains.

However, the NDRF teams rescued nine members of agricultural labourers who were stranded in the middle of the Godavari river at Bornapalli village in Raikal mandal.