VIJAYAWADA: Around 150 sand trucks got stuck in sand reaches due to flash floods in Krishna River at Chevitikallu village in Nandigama mandal of Krishna district on Saturday. Police rushed to the spot with boats and rescued 132 workers and lorry drivers.
These trucks had earlier reached the river bed by crossing a BT ramp built in Krishna River for excavation of sand. As is usual, around 150 trucks had reached the sand quarry at Chevitikallu village for loading during early hours of Saturday.
Soon, however, water levels at the location started increasing after 70,000 cusecs of flood water had been released from Pulichintala, apart from 5,000 cusecs from Munneru creek. Consequently, the ramp connecting Chevitikallu to the sand quarry got swept away and the trucks got stranded.
Truck drivers tried to drive the vehicles through and return from the sand quarry. But they could not succeed as the sand was wet and slushy. When information reached authorities, revenue, police and fire officials rushed to Chevitikallu sand quarry and took up rescue operations. Three boats had been used to rescue 132 lorry drivers, cleaners and workers from the sand quarry. The trucks remain stranded in about two feet of flood water.
Nandigama DSP Nageswara Reddy said stranded trucks will be retrieved after the floods recede.
Kanchikacharla tahsildar V. Rajakumari said they had no information in the morning on release of flood waters. She said revenue, police and fire departments coordinated with each other in the rescue mission.
