Navy divers and rescue workers on Monday halted their search for survivors following heavy rains on an Indian river where a tourist boat capsized.
The ferry tipped over in the Godavari river in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday after colliding with a rock formation. The passengers, mostly domestic tourists, were on the way to a popular tourist destination in the region.
Eleven bodies were found, while around 25 more people were still missing, officials at the state disaster management department said. A total of 27 people were rescued or swam to safety.
Over 300 personnel from state and federal disaster management forces, fire services, police and navy divers were involved in the effort that began Sunday night.
‘The search operations were halted early Monday evening because of rains and strong currents in the Godavari, which is in spate,’ an disaster management official said.
The bodies are believed have washed away and the gate at the main barrage was shut for the search operation earlier Monday. State officials ordered a probe into the accident.
Every year, scores of people drown in boat tragedies across India, which are mostly blamed on overcrowding, poor maintenance of vessels and lax safety rules.
In May last year, some 30 people were killed after a boat capsized in the Godavari, not far from the scene of Sunday's accident.
