Date:27/08/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/08/27/stories/2007082755210700.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Bodies of Maharashtra students flown back home

Suresh Krishnamoorthy

HYDERABAD: The bodies of seven students who died in Saturday’s blast at the Lumbini Park here were flown back to their homes across the country. They were part of a 45-strong group from the Amritvahini College in Sangamner of Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra who were here on an industrial tour, accompanied by four faculty members. All of them were students of industrial electronics and were enjoying the show at the laserium when the powerful blast ripped the evening’s peace and took their lives with it. They were scheduled to leave the city by bus only hours later, but fate willed it otherwise.

Maharashtra’s Agriculture Minister Balasaheb Thorat, said to be on the governing board of the college, flew into the city early on Sunday morning and spent an entire day coordinating arrangements with the Andhra Pradesh Government in sending the bodies back. The bodies were flown to different places, including Patna and Darbhanga in Bihar, Sangamner, Kalyan, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Ahmednagar, all in Maharashtra.