Boy's body recovered from Galeru-Nagari canal; search on for father, uncle
Rescuers recovered the body of an eight-year-old boy from the Galeru-Nagari canal in Nandyal district, while the search continued for his father and uncle who were swept away trying to save him.
The body of an eight-year-old boy who fell into the Galeru-Nagari canal at Ramapuram village in Owk mandal was recovered on Thursday, a day after the accident, even as the search for his father and uncle entered its second day.
According to the police, the three — all from the same family — had gone to the canal to spend some time by the water. Aarush, 8, was playing when he lost his balance and fell in. His father Afroze, 36, jumped in to pull him out, and Afroze's brother-in-law Ashiq, 32, followed. The current swept away all three.
Officials said the canal was carrying roughly 3,200 cusecs of water when the accident occurred. Afroze and Ashiq worked as labourers at stone-cutting units in the Owk mandal headquarters.
Roads and Buildings Minister B.C. Janardhan Reddy, who has been tracking the rescue since Wednesday, visited the spot on Thursday morning and met the family. He assured them of support and instructed officials to intensify the search, deploying expert swimmers and rescue personnel alongside National Disaster Response Force teams. In a post on social media, he said he had inspected the accident site, consoled the family and directed district officials to step up relief operations.
Following the Minister's directions, authorities have laid nets downstream of the canal to help locate the missing men. Officials said that with the boy's body retrieved, they expect the two others to be traced soon.