A massive search operation, involving National Disaster Response Force and SDRF and other rescue teams, is on to trace four engineering students who were washed away in the Krishna river near here this evening, police said.
No one has been traced as 31 NDRF and 10 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel besides many from the Fire Services and expert swimmers fanned the river in over 10 boats.
Police said five engineering students, belonging to a private college at Kanchikacharla in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh, came to Pavitra Sangamam the confluence of the Godavari and Krishna rivers on a pleasure trip.
One of the students tried to jump over the steel railing at the ghat to get into the river for a swim, they said.
He, however, lost control and fell into the river, according to one student who was safe.
On seeing this, three other students jumped to rescue their mate but they too got washed away in the strong river current, Joint Commissioner of Police Kanti Rana Tata said.
"Rescue teams are on the job and we are still hopeful that the students may have clung to a tree down the stream."
So far, no one has been traced, police said.
Krishna district Collector (in charge) Vijaya Krishnan said the students apparently did not gauge the force with which the water was flowing in the river.
"Everything happened in two minutes. By the time the patrol teams in the area arrived, everything happened," she said.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed grief over the incident.
Pradesh Congress Committee president N Raghuveera Reddy also expressed grief and asked the government to take steps to ensure such incidents did not recur.
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