Four boys washed away in Swarnamukhi River in Tirupati, one body retrieved

Four boys hailing from Vedanthapuram village near Tirupati were washed away in the swirling current of the Swarnamukhi River on Friday. The body of one victim has been retrieved from the water, while rescue operations were on to trace the rest.

The boys took a plunge for swimming at around 4 pm on Friday, but were washed away as the river was in spate due to the heavy rain.

Upon information, the Tirupati Rural police rushed to the spot, while a team of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) launched a search for the boys.

Superintendent of Police L. Subbarayudu, who reached the spot late in the evening, said drones were also deployed as part of the rescue measures. He appealed to the parents to keep their children away from brimming tanks and rivers.