Karimnagar: A 12-year-old boy drowned in the Godavari as a mechanized boat, which was ferrying over 20 passengers from Sironcha in Maharashtra to Kaleshwaram in Mahadevapur mandal, sank in the river, on Sunday.
Six passengers, who fell into the river, were rescued by local fishermen and divers. A one-year old child, who was among one of the rescued, was shifted to Godavarikhani hospital as her condition was critical.
The remaining passengers managed to save their lives by swimming to safety. Rescue operations are still on under the supervision of police officials belonging to Telangana and Maharashtra. The incident took place near an under construction bridge between Kaleshwaram and Sironcha over the Godavari near the Kannepalli village of Mahadevapur mandal.
Mahadevapur sub-inspector Y. Krishna Reddy said the deceased were Burri Vamshi Krishna, a Class VI student and son of Mogilaiah, belonging to Adivarampet in Kataram mandal.
Police and eyewitnesses said the boat overturned as it was stuck by an iron net used for constructing the bridge and water gushing in due to removal of the temporary bridge.
As a result, the passengers, who were travelling from Sironcha to Kaleshwaram, fell into the water.
Seeing the sinking boat fishermen rushed to the spot and rescued six passengers. The other passengers swam and reached the banks.
The boat belonging to the Fishermen Association of Kaleshwaram was carrying passengers from Maharashtra. People residing in various parts of Sironcha taluk were coming to Kaleshwaram for purchasing goods and meeting relatives in Telangana.
The people of the two states depend on boats for reaching destinations on either sides of the river.
