Close shave for 60 launch passengers

KURNOOL: About 60 passengers, all daily wage labourers, in a launch experienced tense moments on Wednesday night after it got stranded in river Tungabhadra near Kurnool for nearly two hours.The labourers belonging to Tandrapadu, Gondiparla, Panchalingala, Poolathota and Doddipadu villages, on the banks of river Tungabhadra, were returning home from Kurnool, as usual, when they got stranded.They travel for three hours in water everyday to reach their villages from Kurnool town.Around 8.30 p.m., the launch got stranded mid-way when water entered into it as Tungabhadra was in spate with 2 lakh cusecs.The driver and passengers panicked as it was dark.However, some passengers called their kin through their mobile phones, who in turn, alerted officials.On information, Kurnool district collector Ramsankar Naik swung into action.  He sent some boats to the place where the launch was stranded and arranged for lights in the river. A rescue team was also pressed into service. After nearly one-and-a-half hours of efforts, the driver managed to restart the vehicle and reached the bank of the river.The collector said that all the passengers were safe. Stating that travel through launches was not safe when the river was in spate, he said he would arrange for motor boats on the route.