The status of personnel involved in a Khammam rescue operation remains unclear after two boats capsized in the overflowing Betupalli tank, with the district Collector saying the State Disaster Response Force and fire personnel were safe while the same account reported that a search for one missing person was continuing.
Khammam district Collector Divakar T.S. said on Thursday that the 10 SDRF and fire personnel who went missing during the rescue effort were safe. According to the report, eight personnel were rescued in the early hours and the locations of two others were traced. The Collector also said a search was under way for one more missing person and asked people not to panic.
The incident took place in Betupalli tank in Sathupally mandal on Wednesday, after heavy rains caused the tank to overflow. Five fishermen had entered the tank to install fishing nets but became stranded in the floodwaters.
Three fire personnel initially set out in a boat to rescue the fishermen. They were caught in strong currents, but were later brought back safely. Six SDRF personnel from Kothagudem and four additional fire personnel then entered the tank in two boats to rescue their colleagues and the stranded fishermen.
Both boats capsized while the teams were proceeding towards the fishermen, leaving 10 rescue personnel unaccounted for at that stage. The report said the fishermen were also among those the teams were attempting to reach, but it did not provide a confirmed final status for them.
The account therefore establishes that rescue personnel were involved in a dangerous operation in an overflowing water body and that multiple personnel had been rescued or located. However, it does not clearly reconcile the Collector’s statement that all 10 personnel were safe with the continuing search for one missing person. Confirmation from the district administration or rescue agencies is required to establish the final number of personnel accounted for and the status of the fishermen.
