Four Drown After Boat Capsizes in Krishna River in Andhra Pradesh’s Palnadu District

A tragic river accident in Andhra Pradesh’s Palnadu district claimed four lives on Sunday after a small non-motorised fishing boat carrying 10 passengers capsized in the Krishna River near Konuru village.

Police said the victims included two men and two women , while six others were rescued by locals who rushed to the spot soon after the incident.

The group had travelled by boat to attend a family function in Konuru village and was returning when the accident occurred. According to preliminary findings, the boat lost balance and overturned just about 15 metres from the riverbank , throwing all passengers into the water.

Sattenapalli Deputy Superintendent of Police Hanumanth Rao said the mishap appears to have been triggered when children on board suddenly moved to one side of the boat , causing a dangerous shift in balance. Despite being close to the shore, the section of the river was reportedly deep, making rescue difficult .

Officials confirmed that the vessel capsized quickly, leaving little time for passengers to react. Local villagers who witnessed the incident immediately jumped into rescue efforts and managed to pull six survivors to safety , preventing an even larger tragedy.

Expressing deep grief over the incident, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh each to the families of the deceased. He also ordered a comprehensive probe into the accident.

The Chief Minister reviewed the situation with senior officials over the phone from abroad and directed the district administration to ensure immediate relief and support to affected families. He instructed departments including Revenue, Police, and Irrigation to conduct a detailed investigation into the circumstances leading to the capsizing.

Authorities also informed him that all six survivors were safe after receiving initial assistance.

Officials have been asked to submit a detailed report and recommend safety measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future, especially in small boats used for local river crossings and family travel.