Boy’s body found, search for father, uncle who swept away in Galeru-Nagari canal

File photo of a canal in Andhra Pradesh. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

The body of an eight-year-old boy who was swept away in the Galeru-Nagari canal at Ramapuram village in Owk mandal on Wednesday (September 16, 2026) was recovered on Thursday (September 17, 2026) while efforts to trace his father and uncle, who were washed away as they tried to rescue him the next day, continued.

The three, all members of the same family, had gone to the canal to spend some time and observe the flow of water, police said. Aarush, 8, lost his balance while playing and fell into the canal. His father Afroze (36) jumped into the water to save him and Afroze’s brother-in-law Ashiq (32) followed them into the canal. All three were swept away by the current.

The canal was carrying about 3,200 cusecs of water at the time of the accident, officials said.

Afroze and Ashiq were workers in stone cutting factories in Owk mandal headquarters.

BC Roads and Buildings Minister Janardhan Reddy, who has been monitoring the rescue operation since the accident, visited the site on Thursday morning and consoled the family members. Assuring them of all possible support, the minister directed officials to intensify the search for the two men and asked that rescue efforts be expedited by deploying experienced swimmers and rescuers along with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams.

I visited the incident site where three young men went missing after falling into the Galeru-Nagari canal in Nandyala district. I visited the family members of the victims. I spoke to district officials and directed them to intensify relief efforts. Special swimmers and rescuers were deployed to find the missing persons.

— BC Janardhan Reddy Official (@bcjrofficial) September 17, 2026

On the instructions of Mr. Janardhan Reddy, the officials have tightened measures to find the missing men. Nets were laid downstream of the canal as part of the search.

Officials said that when Aarush’s body was recovered, they expected the other two to be recovered soon.

Published – 17 Sep 2026 16:46 IST