Tourists were taking lunch before mishap
Many were not wearing life jackets and drowned
Many tourists were having lunch on board the Royal Vashishta when they noticed something amiss. They felt the boat experience jerks twice.
According to a tourist who was rescued, many of them went up to the deck to find out what was happening. That is when they realised that the boat was tilting to one side. It then appeared to right itself before keeling over and capsizing.
The tourists who wearing life jackets were safe in the water. Many of those who did not wear the safety gear sank and drowned, while those who could swim braved the swift-flowing water.
The tragedy appeared to have taken place quickly and there seemed to be little time to alert anyone. Besides, the spot has poor coverage by cellphone.
The first inkling of the unfolding tragedy came when fishermen in Agraharam village noticed some people floating in the Godavari and shouting for help. They immediately moved in and rescued them in their boats. After hearing what happened from the shaken tourists, they began calling officials for help.
Some time later, the bodies of some of the tourists floated ashore at Manturu, Devipatnam and other villages. The survivors were rushed to the Rampachodavaram area hospital.
Earlier, the tourists had started their trip at 10 am at Gandipochamma temple and the first signs of disaster occurred between 12.30 pm and 1 pm. East Godavari superintendent of police Adnan Nayeem Asmi said the boat ‘Royal Vashishta’, had started from the bay at the Gandipochamma temple at Polavaram. He said boat owner K. Venkata Ramana had obtained licences and requisite permissions to operate it in normal times.
Due to the floods, all tourist trips on the Godavari had been suspended and the boat owner did not take permission to resume the trips. Sources said Venkata Ramana had been warned by some officials not to take the boat into the Godavari as the river in the spate. He reportedly told them that he had a licence and his boat was equipped to deal with the current. He said all permissions had been obtained for conducting the trip and the capacity of the boat was 90 passengers. He said there were 150 life jackets on the boat. It was suspected that the boat was caught up in a whirlpool in an area.