A 52-year-old man went missing, while his niece survived by clinging to a tree branch after they were swept away in an irrigation canal at Gopalapuram village in East Godavari district.
The incident occurred on Thursday night (November 5, 2026) after Vijaya Kumar and his niece, natives of Gopalapuram, who were on a two-wheeler on their way to Devarapalli, slipped on the Annadevarapeta–Chityala road and were washed away in the canal that had breached due to heavy inflow from continuous rains.
Mr. Vijaya Kumar’s niece, who clung to a tree branch on the bank of the canal, was rescued by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel. The SDRF was engaged in relief operations following Cyclone Murusu in the region.
The East Godavari District police confirmed that the search is on to trace Mr. Vijaya Kumar. A missing-person case has been registered at the Gopalapuram police station.
Published – November 06, 2026 08:27 pm IST
