The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Guntur fire: early estimates put loss at Rs. 85 crore

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Guntur fire: early estimates put loss at Rs. 85 crore

Ramesh Susarla

GUNTUR: A devastating fire suspected to have been caused by an electrical short-circuit on Saturday morning reduced Asia’s largest chilli market yard on the outskirts of the city to ashes, though there was no human loss.

Nearly 80 per cent of the chilli stock and almost the entire infrastructure in the agriculture market yard was destroyed in the inferno that began at 10 a.m. and continued to rage till late in the evening. Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy said in Hyderabad that preliminary estimates put the total loss at Rs. 85 crore, including damage of Rs. 55 crore to the infrastructure.

About 26 fire tenders, some of them requisitioned from neighbouring Krishna and Prakasam districts, managed to control the fire after working relentlessly. Their operations were hampered by the pungent odour of burning chillis and billowing smoke.

The fire was ignited by a spark from an overhead high-tension power line when a lorry loaded with chilli bags hit a pole while reversing. Heat wave conditions prevailing in the city and the highly inflammable nature of the dry chilli worsened the situation with no fire fighting facility.

When fire tenders arrived 40 minutes later, the situation went out of control and there was no way they could save the produce and the property in the 50-acre yard. Fortunately, there were no casualties as very few employees and farmers were present due to a holiday on Saturday.

YSR’s directive

The Chief Minister, who monitored the situation from New Delhi, asked the Collectors of Krishna and Prakasam to assist the Guntur District Collector B. Venkatesham in containing the fire. Mr. Venkatesham said no property outside the market yard was affected except for 40 huts in a rehabilitated colony nearby whose inhabitants were shifted to a safer place.

Announcing an inquiry into the incident by Marketing Commissioner A. R. Sukumara, the Chief Minister said though there were no information about sabotage, the probe would look into this aspect.

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