Four persons were washed away in swirling waters on causeways in different locations in Chittoor district on Friday. While the police traced three bodies, search is on for the fourth one.
In the first incident, a family of three from Muthirevula village near Chittoor was returning home in the early hours of Friday, after attending a marriage event at Kaligirikonda hillock near Puthalapattu, 30 km from here. The car driver was trying to cross an overflowing causeway at Kondaiahgaripalle of Penumuru mandal, when the vehicle was swept away in the swirling waters following heavy rain on Thursday night.
The driver could jump to safety and rescued two others, but a child and his father, trapped in the car, were washed away. The rivulet, connected to the Bahuda river, was in spate following downpour.
The police personnel from Chittoor, Pakala and Penumuru rushed to the spot and launched the rescue operation for the missing father and daughter by deploying two boats. Around noon, the body of the girl, Vineetha (15), was traced and the search for her father Pratap (45) continued till late in the evening.
Chittoor MLA J.M.C. Srinivasulu too joined the rescue operation for a while.
The girl’s body was shifted to the Government General Hospital in Chittoor for post-mortem examination.
Watery grave
In another incident, a man and his son met watery grave after being washed away at Jellipeta rivulet near the Koundiya reservoir at Jellipeta village near Palamaner.
According to the police, the man, Parwin (30), and her son, Moula Hamidulla (11), of Gaddur village moved to the edge of an overflowing causeway to take a selfie. To have a clear view of the gushing waters, they stepped further into the waters. They lost grip and fell. In a few seconds, they were washed away.
The police and fire service personnel rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation, but in vain. Later, their bodies were traced.
In yet another incident, four children in the age group of 8-10 were washed away while trying to cross a rivulet to a road point near S.R. Puram mandal headquarters. However, all the four could swim to safety. After giving them first aid, the area police handed them over to their parents.
