Date:18/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/18/stories/2008071858500300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

A habit that proved a blessing

B. Madhu Gopal

Sleeping under the cot, pushcart vendor escapes with injuries

Photo: K.R. Deepak (Another Report on Page 4)

Shattered: Women, who lost Rs.50,000 cash, searching for their belongings in the debris beside the blast site at Nandagiri Nagar on Thursday. —

VISAKHAPATNAM: The building collapse at Nandagiri Nagar has financially crippled pushcart vendor M. Venkata Rao, 50, and his family.

He has four daughters, only one of whom was married. They were all staying in a three-portion tin-roof house adjacent to the collapsed building. The tin-roof was ripped apart and blown away in the impact of the blast.

Venkata Rao was sleeping under the cot in his house as usual while his daughters were doing petty chores in the open space outside the house. His habit of sleeping under the cot helped him in escaping with injuries. His daughters rushed into the house and managed to pull him out.

As soon as he regained consciousness in hospital, Venkata Rao remembered that he had borrowed Rs.50,000 and kept it in the house to repay a loan. He told his daughters about it and they rushed back and were seen searching for the cash among the rubble. Their search, however, proved futile.

An auto driver M. Srinu who was relaxing in the next portion got thrown away. He managed to pull out his wife and two children from under the rubble. They sustained minor injuries.

“He (Ch. Pydiraju) has been doing firecracker business for the last several years. It is their misfortune that the blast had occurred now,” an elderly woman was overheard telling another woman in one of the narrow streets located near the collapsed building.

The blast that occurred on Thursday evening resulted in the death of one person and seven others being trapped under the debris of the collapsed building. Apart from relatives trying to forge their way through the milling crowd to reach the collapsed structure, the streets were full of wailing women and sorrowing men. “This explains why the residents had not complained to the authorities when the firecracker business was being carried out clandestinely. They were, perhaps, very friendly and cooperative people,” felt another man. His words seemed to be true as the house was located amidst two other taller buildings and a number of other buildings all around.