11 Rescued After Rescue Boats Capsize in Flooded Bethupalli Lake

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Fire Services Department jointly carried out the operation after powerful currents swept the boats away.

The incident began on Wednesday afternoon when five fishermen entered Bethupalli tank to lay fishing nets, despite water flowing over its surplus weir. A sudden rise in the water level left them stranded, with the strong current preventing them from returning to the shore.

The fishermen contacted members of their local cooperative society, who were waiting on the tank bund, and sought help. One person subsequently attempted to reach them using a makeshift raft. Two other fishermen who had arrived from another area also became trapped in the strong currents.

This left eight people stranded in the flooded water body.

Rescue operation takes a dangerous turn

A Fire Services team reached the location with a boat and managed to rescue three people. However, the remaining five fishermen were still trapped in the middle of the tank.

Authorities then dispatched a team of 10 personnel, accompanied by a local resident, to rescue them. The team comprised six police personnel from the Kothagudem battalion and four Fire Services staff members.

The operation began at around 7.30 p.m. using two boats. However, both vessels capsized in the powerful current, sweeping all 11 occupants into the floodwaters.

The five fishermen who had initially been stranded managed to reach a mound of earth in the middle of the tank.

An NDRF team sent from Vijayawada reached them at approximately 10.30 p.m. and brought all five to safety by around 11.20 p.m.

Search teams trace all 11 missing personnel

A separate search operation involving the NDRF and Fire Services continued through the night to locate the 11 people swept away after the boats capsized.

Officials confirmed that all 11, including personnel from the Telangana State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire Services staff and the local resident, were rescued by Thursday morning.