11 Rescuers Missing as Boats Capsize in Khammam Floods
The incident unfolded after five local fishermen entered the gushing reservoir to fix nets and prevent their catch from washing away following torrential rains.
Hyderabad: A rescue mission turned perilous on Wednesday in Khammam district when two boats carrying 11 rescue personnel—including State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel, Fire Services officers, and local guides—capsized in the raging waters of the overflowing Bethupalli irrigation tank.
The incident unfolded after five local fishermen entered the gushing reservoir to fix nets and prevent their catch from washing away following torrential rains. When the fishermen became marooned in the fast-rising waters, an initial three-member fire department unit attempted a rescue, only to be stranded when their boat engine failed.
In response, an 11-member team from Kothagudem launched two rescue craft, successfully retrieving the first batch of stranded firemen. However, disaster struck during the subsequent push to reach the stranded fishermen, as powerful undercurrents overturned both vessels, sweeping all 11 crew members into the reservoir.
District Collector Diwakar T.S. and Sathupalli legislator Matta Ragamayi are stationed at the site coordinating emergency operations. NDRF teams from Bhadrachalam have been pressed into service, while district officials are utilizing aerial drones to deliver life jackets to personnel caught in the reservoir.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy reviewed the crisis with senior officials, ordering administrative machinery to pull out all stops to trace and secure the missing personnel, while Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju was tasked with round-the-clock coordination. The stranded fishermen were reported to be out of immediate danger.
