Nine rescuers feared missing as boats capsize in swollen Peddacheruvu, Telangana

Police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel tried to rescue nine rescuers, including five SDRF personnel, who went missing after their two inflatable boats reportedly capsized in swollen Peddacheruvu in Telangana’s Khammam district.

Around nine members of two rescue teams, including five members of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), are missing after their two inflatable boats reportedly capsized in swollen Peddacheruvu in Sathupalli mandal of Khammam district on Wednesday (November 4, 2026) evening.

The teams were involved in an operation to evacuate five fishermen stranded in the flood waters.

According to sources, the incident occurred when rescue teams, comprising SDRF and fire brigade personnel, ventured into the swollen river to rescue the stranded fishermen. Two boats with personnel reportedly capsized in strong winds and strong currents. Khammam Collector Divakara TS along with other officials rushed to the spot to supervise the rescue operation.

Efforts are underway to mobilize NDRF teams and use drones to drop life jackets in the air as part of the rescue effort. Five fishermen trapped in the flood waters were said to be safe, sources said. The search and rescue operation continued until the last reports came in on Wednesday (November 4, 2026) night.

Revenue Minister expresses concern over missing SDRF staff

Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy expressed deep concern over the incident.

The Minister said that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has already reviewed the situation and directed the District Collector to undertake all rescue operations on war footing to ensure safe pick-up of the SDRF personnel involved in the incident.

He instructed the officials to speed up rescue work at the site and ensure availability of all necessary rescue equipment and boats. The minister also directed the officials of the concerned departments to cooperate closely to trace the missing SDRF personnel.

Mr. Reddy said that he is in constant touch with the District Collector and is continuously monitoring the progress of rescue operations. He further announced that he will personally visit the site of the incident on Thursday (November 5, 2026) morning to assess the situation and supervise rescue operations. The minister emphasized that the top priority of the government is to ensure the safe rescue of the SDRF personnel and return them unharmed.

Bandi is sent by NDRF

Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar stepped in to speed up efforts to locate the SDRF boats that went missing in a water body in Sattupalli Assembly constituency in Khammam district and directed the deployment of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel for the rescue operation.

The Union Minister reviewed the situation shortly after receiving information about the incident and sought details from District Collector Khammam Divakar during a telephonic conversation. He inquired about the progress of the ongoing search and rescue operations and directed the officials to intensify efforts to find the lost SDRF boats.

Mr. Sanjay also spoke to senior NDRF officials and urged them to immediately launch operations to trace the boats that were allegedly swept away in the reservoir. After his intervention, NDRF teams were mobilized on war footing and sent to Sattupalli to help the local authorities in the search mission.

NDRF personnel proceeded to the site of the incident and are expected to join the ongoing rescue operations aimed at locating the missing boats and ensuring the safety of the SDRF personnel involved.

Rescue operations are continuing, district authorities and disaster response agencies are working together to monitor the situation and conduct search operations.

Published – November 4, 2026 10:30 PM IST