Twenty-nine people were feared killed, most of them women, after an overcrowded country boat capsized in the swirling waters of Krishna river in Andhra Pradesh's Krishna district on Tuesday, the police said.

The mishap occurred when the boat, carrying 50 people, lost control midway between Golla Manda and Gullala Moda islands and capsized in the river, about 80 km from Machilipatnam town, they said.

Twenty-one persons swam to safety. The police have found 16 bodies so far.

The state government announced an ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 each to families of the victims and promised houses under Indira Avas Yojna.

Three ministers -- V Shobhanadreshwar Rao, K Vijayarama Rao and N Narasimha Rao -- flew in from Hyderabad by helicopter to supervise rescue and relief operations.

Meanwhile, Governor Surjeet Singh Barnala and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed grief over the boat tragedy and conveyed condolences to the bereaved families.