Indian rescuers search for 39 missing after boat accident

Indian authorities were engaged in a major search and rescue operation yesterday to find 39 people missing after their tour boat capsized in a fast-flowing swollen river.

Police told AFP that eight bodies have been recovered, down from a previous tally of 12, after the accident on the Godavari river in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.

The boat was carrying a total of 73 passengers, of whom 26 have been rescued, local police official Adnan Asmi said.

Almost 300 personnel using boats and a helicopter were engaged in the search operation yesterday including from the Indian Navy and the National Disaster Response Force.

Media reports said that a special diver team equipped with sonar equipment was expected to reach the spot later in the day from the northern state of Uttarakhand.

The vessel was heading to a popular picnic spot when it capsized. Local media reports said the Godavari river has been in spate for a week.

A report in the Times of India quoted a senior Andhra Pradesh minister as saying that the vessel had no licence or permission to carry tourists while the river was swollen.