Three persons were drowned and 13 others were missing when a tractor trolley carrying a marriage party turned turtle and fell into a canal in east Godavari on Tuesday night.

A state police spokesman said that police and revenue officials, with the help of swimmers, were continuing the rescue operations to trace the missing persons, which included 10 women, two children and a man, on Wednesday afternoon.

The members of the marriage party finished dinner at Vetlapalem village and were on their way to Konkuduru village in Biccavole mandal when the incident occurred. The tractor trolley, proceeding at high speed, overturned near Medapadu village and fell into the Godavari canal after the driver lost control of the vehicle.

About 40 persons, mainly women and children, were travelling in the ill-fated vehicle. Twelve persons swam to safety and alerted Samalkot police about the incident.

The police and revenue personnel rushed to the spot and took up rescue operations. Trained swimmers rescued another 12 women and children.

The rescue operations were hampered as the overturned tractor trolley got stuck in the canal bed. The police fished out three bodies so far while 13 others are still missing.