The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Gory end to grocery store owner in fire accident

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Sunday, Jun 08, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Gory end to grocery store owner in fire accident

Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD: A trader’s life came to a gory end when he slipped into a raging inferno that engulfed three shops, including his, while trying to control it at Kothapet rytu bazaar on Saturday.

The tragedy shocked not only the 45-year-old victim Babu Rao’s family but also left the policemen, rytu bazaar workers and other traders who watched helplessly as leaping flames charred him to death before their eyes. Fire broke out in Laxmi Srinivasa grocery store in the rytu bazaar around 3.30 a.m. Blazes slowly began spreading to other stores located next to it.

The estate officer alerted the police, fire station and the store owners. With the help of available workers, he started trying to put out the flames. But the fire spread fast as strong winds blew. The shops were located in cement tile roofed structures. Several polythene bags were kept over the roofs to ensure water didn’t seep below during rains.

Lot of combustible material like bamboo poles, garbage and gunny bags were lying around. One shop owner Venkatappaiah and Rao went up the roofs to pull out the plastic bags since that material could easily catch fire. Worried over the tiled roofs collapsing, the police asked them to come down and stopped others going atop the shops.

While Venkatappaiah jumped down, Rao walked onto the roof of Laxmi Srinivasa store, which by then was totally engulfed in flames. “Suddenly the tiled roof caved in and Rao slipped into the leaping flames shouting for help even as everybody watched aghast”, the SI K. Satyanarayana recalled.

As the store was locked from outside, some workers broke open it with a crow-bar and tried in vain to rescue Rao. But the huge flames prevented them from even going close to it. ‘It was tragic that he died before us and we could do nothing. By the time firemen came and put out flames, Rao was reduced to charcoal,” Venkatappaiah cried.

The BJP activists staged a demonstration accusing the Government of failing to have taken proper fire safety measures. Government announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2.5 lakh to Rao’s family.

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