Andhra Pradesh: Engineering student drowns in Godavari River during temple visit

Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema (Andhra Pradesh) [India], July 19 (ANI): A tragic incident occurred in Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday, when a 23-year-old engineering student drowned in the Godavari River near Vadapalli, shortly after arriving for a temple visit.
The victim, identified as Pamarthi Dinesh from Sathupalli in Telangana's Khammam district, had travelled along with five friends to visit the famous Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Vadapalli. The group left Sathupalli late Friday night and reached the temple around 4 am on Saturday.
Before the darshan, the group decided to take a bath in the Godavari River. Amid the strong current in the early hours, Dinesh was swept away by the current and went missing.
Local residents and Dinesh's friends immediately attempted a rescue but were unsuccessful. The incident was reported to the authorities, and Temple Deputy Commissioner Nallam Surya Chakradhar Rao alerted the police, revenue officials, and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams.
Rescue operations are currently underway, led by the 16th Battalion of the SDRF from Visakhapatnam, along with local divers and police teams. However, the heavy flood flow in the Godavari is hampering the search efforts.
Fire Department Inspector Srinivas stated that they received a call from the Athreyapuram Police Inspector reporting the drowning incident.
"We reached the spot and began rescue operations. We found that six friends from Sathupalli in Telangana had come for Lord Venkateswara's darshan. Before entering the temple, they jumped the safety barricades set up by authorities and entered the river illegally. Out of the six, one person drowned, and we are continuing efforts to find him," he said. (ANI)