Six migrant workers drowned in the Sileru river in Odisha on Tuesday when two boats carrying 18 migrant workers capsized. Two persons involved in the tragedy are still missing. The migrant workers took the treacherous river route to avoid police check-posts and mandatory quarantine, say reports.
Around 18 migrant workers from Hyderabad were headed to Malkangiri, their native in Odisha after Telangana declared a strict lockdown. They reached the Andhra-Odisha border at around midnight and were crossing the river in darkness. However, unknown to them the river had been receiving a heavy inflow of water released from the Sileru dam.
A group of 18 migrant workers were crossing the Sileru river from the Andhra side of the river to Odisha when the two boats carrying them capsized. When one of the boats capsized, people attempted to board the second boat which resulted in the second boat capsizing, reported IANS. The Odisha government had made quarantine mandatory for those returning from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Ten of the passengers swam ashore to safety while eight of them, including an infant, were reported missing. The incident was reported under the Chitrakonda Police Station limits. Rescue teams from both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh were pressed into action to carry out rescue operations. Search operations are still on to recover the two persons who are still missing.
Telangana has been under lockdown since May 14. The lockdown, which was supposed to end on May 22, was extended to May 30.