Andhra Pradesh - Guntur   

End of the world for them

Staff Reporter

GRIEF-STRICKEN: Relatives of an accident victim crying inconsolably.

GUNTUR: For 56-year-old Velugodi Sarojini, those moments were the most horrifying.

She was travelling along with her husband Venkata Krishna Prasad, 60, and mother-in-law Shakuntala, 75, to Secunderabad.

They boarded the Delta Fast Passenger at Sattenapalli. Since the women were allotted upper berths, they decided to request for a lower ones.

No time to react

"I was discussing about the Shirdi trip with my mother-in-law when there was a loud thud and lights went off. I got hold of a rod and managed to stay afloat. The water came up to my neck and I found my husband and mother-in-law dead in a few moments," she said sobbing uncontrollably at the Guntur hospital mortuary.

Burra Sivarama Prasad, 27, was on his way to attend a business conference in Hyderabad. He was working for a Visakhapatnam-based company. "Prasad got married just five months ago," his father said, flashing his son's wedding picture. Prasad's wife, who is studying B.Sc. at Chinakalavaripalem at Nagaram mandal in Guntur district, was a picture of grief.

Peraiah, a labourer working in Hyderabad, was travelling with his grandmother and son Rajesh, 6. He lost his son while his grandmother was injured.

Picture of gloom

Earlier, heart-rending scenes were witnessed at the station here as the train carrying 43 bodies arrived.

District Collector G. Jayalakshmi, Superintendent of Police V.C. Sajjanar and District Revenue Officer B. Lakshmikantham were present at the station and supervised the arrangements.

As the mortuary was small, bodies were laid on the floor outside the hall for identification. Later, they were handed over to the relatives.

While the administration made adequate arrangements to transport the bodies to the villages concerned, Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel were slow in conducting the necessary formalities.

Among the political leaders who visited the mortuary were Minister for Transport and Cooperation Kanna Lakshminarayana and Guntur MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao. Heart-rending scenes were witnessed as relatives broke down on seeing the bodies. A sum of Rs.2, 000 was given to victims' relatives towards funeral expenses. Till evening, only 24 bodies were identified.

When the body of train Driver P. Samuel arrived, railway officials placed wreaths on his body and paid their respects. After a few minutes, it was sent to his residence at Donakonda.

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