Narrow escape for 12 persons as country-made raft sinks in Asifabad

According to sources, civilians and students belonging to Jagannathpur villages were travelling on the raft to reach Kaghaznagar.

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: About 12 persons, including school children, had a narrow escape when a country-made raft on which they were crossing the Peddavagu stream partially sank near Andevelli village in Kaghaznagar mandal on Thursday.

According to sources, civilians and students belonging to Jagannathpur villages were travelling on the raft to reach Kaghaznagar. The raft slightly sank in the waters of the stream. The passengers raised an alarm, following which staffers of a rescue boat stationed on the banks of the stream reached them and took them to the shore.

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Students said that their bags fell in the stream. However, officials and police heaved a sigh of relief with no casualties reported. Locals said they were forced to travel on the rafts to cross the stream to buy groceries after a pillar of a high-level bridge across Peddavagu sank due to heavy rains in July.

The traffic on the bridge was suspended considering the threat of collapse of the structure. People residing in 40 villages in Kaghaznagar, Dahegaon and Bheemini mandals have to take the Bheemini-Tandur route and cover a distance of 50 kilometres to reach Kaghaznagar for various needs including medical emergencies. They demanded the authorities concerned to address the problem at the earliest.