Factory blaze toll hits five

By Our Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA, MAY 14. The toll in the ghastly fire accident in the `dine' salt unit on the premises of the SIRIS pharmaceutical company here on Saturday rose to five with two more bodies recovered late last night. It literally proved a `death call' to the victims. The body of Mr. K. V. Rayapa Raju, managing director of the `dine salt' unit, was the first to be recovered.

Mr. Rayapa Raju rarely used to visit the plant because the manufacturing processes were simple. He was, however, in the factory on Saturday with two guests, Mr. Ganesh Raju, manager, Continental Wines, and Mr. A. Narasimha Rao, chartered accountant, to discuss a new venture. An office boy who brought tea for them alerted them about the fire before fleeing the scene but they did not take him seriously as in the past minor fires had broken out and had been controlled by the staff. They continued their discussions for another 10 minutes till the smoke entered the room, choking them.

Both Mr. Rayapa Raju and Mr. Narasimha Rao sent an SOS to their kin using a cell-phone. They bolted themselves in the bathroom to escape from poisonous gases. Mr. Narasimha Rao was seen covering his face with a hand kerchief while Mr. Rayapa Raju wrapped himself in a coir carpet.

Mr. Rayapa Raju was to leave for Hyderabad on Saturday to visit his ailing brother-in-law. But on knowing that he was discharged from the hospital, he cancelled the trip.

Mr. Narasimha Rao, who was to join his wife and two children at his in-laws' house in Rajahmundry, also cancelled his journey in order to attend the meeting. He borrowed a car from his father, Mr. Andavalli Satyanarayana, a veteran journalist, and went to the factory. Mr. Satyanarayana got the SOS, but could go only as far as the police cordon. By then the fire had gone beyond control.

The fourth victim, Mr. Madhava Rao, was an electrician. The company cashier, Mr. Bhaskara Raju, was also trapped and perished in the fire.

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Section  : Regional
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