Hyderabad, June 09: Four students died and two others suffered serious burns in a fire at their teacher’s house in Mayapatnam village in U Kothapalli mandal in East Godavari district. Electric short circuit is said to be the reason behind the fire.
While two students died on the spot, two others succumbed to burns at the government general hospital on Monday. Sources said the short circuit caused by loose wiring in a TV set spread to the false ceiling of a wedding pandal in the house where the students and the teacher slept late on Sunday night.
Chokka Sivaji (12) and Bosukonda Chinna (15) were charred beyond recognition on the spot, Kurada Durga Rao (10) and Kanchara Raju (15) died in hospital. The teacher, Chodipalli Ramakrishna (24), who gives free tuitions to the students, and another student Gangari Kodanda (13) are battling for their lives with over 90 per cent burns.
Sources said Ramakrishna along with his students worked on the floral arrangements for the wedding pandal in his house for the marriage of his sister, which was due for Tuesday.
In another accident involving a coal-laden lorry and an oil tanker at ADB Road near Kakinada on Monday, the lorry driver was killed when the vehicles collided head-on. The driver was burnt badly in the fire that broke out, while the condition of the cleaner and another worker who was atop the lorry is said to be serious.
Meanwhile, in a major fire at Ankireddypalem in Guntur district, 200 houses were destroyed. The fire from a thatched hut spread within no time and reduced other huts to ashes. Fire tenders were still fighting hard to douse the fire. Sources said the property loss could be in lakhs. Electric short circuit was said to be the reason for the fire.
—Agencies–