A tourist boat with 80 people on board caught a massive fire on Friday in Andhra Pradesh’s West Godavari district. However, the passengers had a narrow escape as the driver of boat managed to steer close to the bank and all the people on board jumped to safety. Indianexpress.com reported that the double-decker boat belonged to a private company named Royal Godavari tours. The boat was ferrying the passengers to the scenic Papikondalu Hills.
A short circuit could be the likely cause of the fire. The boat catching fire led to a stampede-like situation as panicked tourists began running towards the exit. Thousands of people throng Rajahmundry every day to take boat tours to the scenic Papi Hills.
Further inputs awaited
Taking note of the incident, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu spoke to East Godavari district collector Kartikeya Misra. The CM directed him to ensure that the tourists were safely sent back home. Speaking to PTI, a passenger said that the boat set off from Posammagudi village for the picturesque Papikondalu.
The passengers suddenly realised that smoke was coming out from the lower deck. The driver of the boat soon brought it close to a tiny patch of island in the river enabling passengers to jump out to safety. Some locals also came to the rescue the passengers. The boat was completely gutted in the incident.
“We were told that there was a gas leak in the boat’s kitchen when tea was being prepared. That caused the fire but luckily we escaped unhurt,” Durga Prasad said.
The passengers were taken to nearby Devipatnam police station, where they were offered snacks. The administration later arranged buses to send the passengers back home.
