The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : A black Sunday for many

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 27, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

A black Sunday for many

By Sujatha Varma

The idols of God Nandeeswara, Lord Vinayaka and a Shiva Lingam, carved from solid granite stone, thrown a few metres away from their original position (The lone idol seen in the background) at Pottisubbaiahpalem hamlet under Vetapalem mandal in Praka sam district. .Photo:Ch_Vijaya Bhaskar.

MACHILIPATNAM, DEC. 26. Disaster could not have struck closer for members of Pulletikurthi family who were destined for a rendezvous with death on Sunday.

As if to keep the date, around 20 members of the family went to the Manginipudi beach after attending a marriage at Chilakaluripet. "We let the children play and chose to sit on the shore and watch them," said a sobbing Hari, a goldsmith in Guntur. The family lost seven of its members, all women and children. The deceased included Pramila, 11, Kalyani, 13, Anusha, 15, Jhansi Rani, 35, Radha Kumari, 40, Yuvala, 4, and Jayalakshmi.

Holiday crowd

"I was standing at the shore and suddenly saw a massive tide engulfing the kids. I tried to rush towards them but there was no use since I was wading through chest-deep water and there was no way I could trace the children in the melee," said a misty eyed uncle of the three-year-old Yuvala.

The huge number of deaths could be attributed to vacations in schools and the fact that it was a Pournami falling on a Sunday. "I wanted to fulfill a long-pending wish of my family members for a visit to the beach. Since it was a Sunday and was considered to be auspicious, I brought them here," said Bajee of Ramavarappadu, breaking into an uncontrollable wail. "I went deep into the water and my family members were almost on the shore. Suddenly, I felt the ground under my feet was moving. Sensing danger, I ran to my son's rescue but it was too late. The tidal wave hit the coast with a lightning speed and receded only after half the people on the coast washed away."

Nature's fury has orphaned S.K. Subhani. He came to the beach in the morning to have fun with his sister and mother but returned alone after the other two members fell prey to the tidal fury.

Unable to believe the hard knock of the destiny that killed her daughter in her prime youth, a shell-shocked mother was seen applying vermilion on her forehead and trying to get her some air by using her pallu. So great was the impact of the incident that anyone who witnessed the intensity went numb.

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