The Hindu : Front Page : Sailor goes missing from burning train

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Sunday, Aug 03, 2008
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Sailor goes missing from burning train

M. Srinivas

G. Madhusudan Rao

HYDERABAD: Their agony is indescribable. Their loved one G. Madhusudan Rao, a sailor in the Indian Navy, who was travelling in the ill-fated Gautami Express on Thursday night just went missing after fire broke out in one of the coaches.

His name neither figures in the official list of missing/dead nor injured persons released by the railways. Now all his relatives could do was to rush to Kesamudram, Kazipet, Warangal and Secunderabad looking out for him or at least for some information on his whereabouts. The stock reply from officials, even those travelling on the Gautami was that they had not seen him anywhere. So far, luck has eluded the grief-stricken relatives and friends.

Makes call from mobile

Rao (29), a resident of Kukatpally Housing Board Colony, is working on the INS-Chilka in Orissa. He had gone to Mumbai on some official work and had come to Hyderabad on his way to Orissa. In Hyderabad, he decided to call on his ailing grandfather, Sheshagiri, in Tadepalligudem and got into a general compartment in the Gautami Express.

All his relatives recall is that Rao had called one of his family members that he was crossing Kazipet and that the TTE had assured him a berth in S10 coach. “Now that a berth is allotted, my journey will be comfortable. I will speak to you after reaching the village,” he told his family members on his mobile (093387-03721). This call was made around 11.50 p.m.

Maximum casualties

Incidentally, the fire broke out in coach S10, where the maximum casualties were reported. Fire spread to the adjoining coach S9 and to S11, S12 and S13.

Panicked relatives began calling Rao on his mobile only to get the recorded message “out of coverage area”. “We are worried. He remains untraceable,” said his brother-in-law G. V. Ramana fighting back tears. He and his relatives were at the Rail Nilayam on Saturday morning.

His name apparently did not figure in any of the lists released by the railways, as he got into a general compartment. “Please help us trace our child,” is the plea of his uncle Ramu. The family members request that any information about this sailor could be passed on to 94406 88656 or 99495 88975.

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