<p>At least 10 pilgrims were drowned and 30 others went missing after an overcrowded boat capsized in Godavari river in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday.<br /><br />The country-made boat ferrying over 70 persons overturned at around 07:00 hours in the river near Biyyaputeppa village, 70 kms from Vijaywada, West Godavari District Collector A Vani Prasad said.<br /><br />The victims, mostly belonging to fishermen families from Upputeru and nearby villages were proceeding to have a holy dip at a temple in Antarvedi, on the other side, when the mishap occured, official sources said.<br /><br />So far, 10 bodies including that of four women and four children have been fished out and nine of them have been identified, they said.<br /><br />According to reports reaching here, villagers rescued about 40 people, of which some of them swam to safety.<br /><br />Rescue operations have been launched by East and West Godavari district administration officials, and a chopper from the Eastern Command Naval base with two boats and expert divers from Visakhapatnam have been summoned to trace the missing persons, Agricultural Minister N Raghuveera Reddy told reporters here.<br /><br />An ex-gratia of Rs one lakh to the kin of the deceased has been announced, he said.<br />Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah has directed district in-charge ministers Vatti Vasanth Kumar (Rural Development) and P Satyanarayana (Arogyasri) to supervise and speed up the rescue work.<br /><br />Antarvedi is an important pilgrim centre in Andhra Pradesh and devotees flock the place to take a holy dip on a full moon day.</p>
<p>At least 10 pilgrims were drowned and 30 others went missing after an overcrowded boat capsized in Godavari river in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday.<br /><br />The country-made boat ferrying over 70 persons overturned at around 07:00 hours in the river near Biyyaputeppa village, 70 kms from Vijaywada, West Godavari District Collector A Vani Prasad said.<br /><br />The victims, mostly belonging to fishermen families from Upputeru and nearby villages were proceeding to have a holy dip at a temple in Antarvedi, on the other side, when the mishap occured, official sources said.<br /><br />So far, 10 bodies including that of four women and four children have been fished out and nine of them have been identified, they said.<br /><br />According to reports reaching here, villagers rescued about 40 people, of which some of them swam to safety.<br /><br />Rescue operations have been launched by East and West Godavari district administration officials, and a chopper from the Eastern Command Naval base with two boats and expert divers from Visakhapatnam have been summoned to trace the missing persons, Agricultural Minister N Raghuveera Reddy told reporters here.<br /><br />An ex-gratia of Rs one lakh to the kin of the deceased has been announced, he said.<br />Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah has directed district in-charge ministers Vatti Vasanth Kumar (Rural Development) and P Satyanarayana (Arogyasri) to supervise and speed up the rescue work.<br /><br />Antarvedi is an important pilgrim centre in Andhra Pradesh and devotees flock the place to take a holy dip on a full moon day.</p>
