At a Glance

The sightseeing boat was not supposed to be on the flooded river, authorities said. Heavy rains in the upper parts of the Godavari river basin have caused flooding.More than 30 other people drowned during religious ceremonies in flooded rivers and a lake.

A search for more than 24 tourists continued Monday after a sightseeing boat capsized in a flooded river in southern India.

At least 14 people drowned when the double-decker boat sank Sunday in the Godavari river, the Associated Press reported. Rescuers saved 27 people before the search was halted for the night.

The Royal Vashista sank in about 250 of water near Kachuluru village in East Godavari district, 236 miles east of Hyderabad, the state capital of Andhra Pradesh. The boat was heading from Singanapalli to Papikondalu, a tourist resort.

Tour boats have been banned from operating on the river over the past month because of flooding, according to M. Sucharitha, home minister for Andhra Pradesh state.

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An official with the office that manages traffic on that stretch of the Godavari told the New Indian Express the . A tourism minister also confirmed that his department has not allowed any boat to operate on the river because of the flooding.

The flooding has been caused by , the New Indian Express reported.

Sucharitha, the home minister, said flood gates were closed Sunday on a dam on the river to prevent the missing from being washed into the Bay of Bengal.

"We 14 friends came from Warangal to see the beautiful Papikondalu and now only five are left," one of the survivors, 54-year-old Gorre Prabhakar, said, according to AP.

30 Drown During Hindu Rituals

Eighteen people drowned on Thursday and Friday when they were swept away by flooded rivers while participating in religious ceremonies in which figures of a Hindu god are immersed in water, AP reported, citing the Press Trust of India. Four other worshippers drowned in Yamuna river in New Delhi.

At least 11 people drowned Friday when their boat capsized in a lake in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh state, rescuers said. Six people were able to swim ashore and one person was missing, National Disaster Response Force spokesman Krishan Kumar said.

The boat tilted and capsized as the worshippers were immersing a large idol of the Hindu god Ganesh in the lake, police said.

Hindus are celebrating the birthday of Lord Ganesh, the elephant-headed son of Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati. Ganesh is the symbol of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune.

Information from the Associated Press was included in this report.