Three persons feared drowned, and two persons survived after a car, in which they were travelling, plunged into an irrigation canal at Lolla irrigation lock under Atreyapuram police limits in East Godavari district in the early hours of Friday.
The incident had occurred while the five persons belonging to the same family were returning to their village after celebrating Shiva Raatri at a temple in Atreyapuram mandal in East Godavari district. They are native of Gollala Koderu village in Pala Koderu mandal in West Godavari district.
The 45-year-old driver, Ch. Sreenivasa Raju, has been found dead and his body was retrieved from the canal during the search operation.
Two others - Mantena Suresh Varma, 41, and Indukuri Satya Raju - have feared drowned and they have not been traced, according to Atreyepuram police. Mudunuri Venkata Ganapathi Raju and M. Seetarama Raju managed to swim the canal and received minor injuries.
According to East Godavari SP Adnan Nayeem Asmi, the two persons have been feared drowned in the canal and search operation continues by deploying local swimmers. The Ravulapalem and Atreyapuram police are coordinating the search operation.
