3 dead, 3 survive after coracle capsizes in Krishna river in Kolhar, two still missing

VIJAYAPURA: Eight people drowned after a coracle capsized in the Krishna river near Kolhar the district on Tuesday evening. While three survived, the body of one person was fished out on Tuesday night and two more were recovered during rescue operations on Wednesday. A search was continuing for two more missing people.

Jagadish (left) and his friend Bani rescued one person from the water.

It is said that the men were attempting to flee after the police raided a gambling den near the Baluti jackwell on Tuesday evening when the incident occurred. According to eyewitness Jagadish Sunagadh, he and his friend Bani rescued one person who jumped off the coracle and based on his information, they pulled out a body which was entangled in a fishing net. The deceased was identified as Pundalik Yankanchi (34).

After conducting a search late into the evening on Tuesday, the police and Fire and Emergency Services personnel resumed the rescue efforts early on Wednesday and recovered two more bodies were recovered from fishing nets. They were identified as Tayyab Chowdary (40) of Kolhar and Dasharat Goudar (60).

The bodies of three men were fished out since Tuesday evening.

The entire operation was being overseen by Police Superintendent Rishikesh Sonawane who was at the spot. Six boats with outboard motors had been pressed into service, he said. “Three bodies have been found so far and a search is on for two missing people, Rafiq Bombay and Mehboob Walikar”, he said.

Two men were still missing on Wednesday.

Among the three who survived are Basheer Honnawad, who had swum ashore and fled to his house. This was confirmed by the SP himself. Sachin Katabar of Kudagi village in Kolhar taluk had also swam to shore while Farooq Fateh Mohammed was rescued by Jagadish Sunagadh and his friends.

The search and rescue effort will resume on Thursday if the missing two men are not traced today, the SP said.