Search operation still on to trace missing girl's body

: Braving harsh weather, more than 235 personnel belonging to various agencies carried out a day-long search operation for the second consecutive day today and fished out the body of a girl from river Godavari.

The bodies of five more girls who too drowned in the river after their boat capsized on Saturday evening are still missing.

While the body of a 35-year-old woman was retrieved last evening, that of the girl was traced near Tallarevu today.

The girl has not yet been identified, the State Disaster Management Authority said in a release.

Deep divers from the Indian Navy were taking part in the operation along with NDRF, SDRF and other personnel.

A Navy helicopter has also been pressed into service to carry out the search.

In all seven persons, including six children below the age of 15, were washed away in river Gautami a tributary of Godavari when the country boat they were traveling in capsized after colliding with the pier of a bridge under construction.

About 25 passengers of the boat were saved soon after the incident.

The Andhra Pradesh government announced an ex gratia payment of Rs five lakh to the next of kin of the 35-year-old woman and Rs three lakh each to relatives of the six girl students.