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Bodies of 46 boat accident victims recovered

Special Correspondent

Use of mechanised boats with special hooks helps in recovery of bodies

RESULTS AT LAST: Kurnool Collector M. Dana Kishore demonstrating the use of hooks for fishing out bodies from the Krishna . — Photo: U. Subramanyam

KURNOOL: The combing of the riverbed of the Krishna helped in the fishing out of 46 bodies of victims involved in the boat accident, which occurred on the Kurnool-Mahabubnagar border on Sunday. Fortyfive bodies were identified except one, which was not claimed immediately.

As the chances of the bodies surfacing on their own remained slim due to cold weather conditions, the officials launched "operation combing" by employing mechanised boats fitted with special hooks fixed to a 10-feet long bar.

Search to continue

Collector M. Dana Kishore and SP B. Malla Reddy who camped at the accident site said that the search for the remaining bodies would be intensified on Monday.

Thirteen boats were used to comb the riverbed within a radius of 500 metres. The naval divers who remained in the river detected five bodies.

Their services are crucial to detect the remaining bodies, which are believed to have drifted from the site of the accident.

A total of 13 mechanised boats, one launch and 30 local basket boats were employed for the search operation on Sunday. A new team of naval personnel will replace their colleagues on Monday.

A helicopter was kept waiting to shift the new team from Hyderabad.

Twenty bodies buried

Meanwhile, the authorities arranged a mass graveyard on the riverbank for the burial of the victims.

Twenty bodies were laid to rest at the place.

Ministers Konathala Ramakrishna and M. Mareppa stationed at the accident site were supervising the operations.

Labour Minister G.Vinod coordinated from the other bank of the river.

The Collector told The Hindu that ex gratia was paid to some of the families where the claims were clear on Sunday.

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