The tiny Kadipikonda village adjacent to Kazipet junction plunged into sorrow as news spread that nine of its residents went missing as the boat capsized in river Godavari near Rajahmundry on Sunday.
As many as 14 villagers from Kadipikonda went on a two-day pleasure trip to visit Rajahmundry, Papikondalu and Bhadrachalam, being the weekend. They included the elderly and youngsters too. According to the villagers, they boarded the Gautami Express on Friday night and were supposed to return on Sunday night. They were all in touch with their families back every one hour over cellular phones.
On Sunday, the tourists called back their homes around 12 noon and told them that they were boarding the boat towards Papikondalu and they would call back after returning from the trip as the phones does not work anymore. However, after just an hour, relatives were shocked to see on televisions the breaking news that the boat capsized and many went missing. It was the same boat that carried relatives of villagers of Kadipikonda.
Scores of people gathered at the residences of those who went missing in the boat tragedy and also the survivors. People in large numbers gathered on the roads in villages recalling the names of those who left the village on trip.
As they saw the police officials arriving at village, people gathered around them telling the details and showing them the residences of missing people. Inspector J Narasimhulu went round the homes taking notes of details of the people who went on pleasure trip from the village. The relatives and villages are waiting with bated breath about their near ones’ arrival as the earliest. For now the whole village turned sombre.