Pilgrimage facilitator meets tragic end

Visakhapatnam: Villagers of Musaiahpeta and other hamlets in Atchutapuram mandal empathised with the relatives of Eegala Appa Rao, who, along with his family members, died after the jeep in which they were travelling plunged into river Godavari at Dowleswaram barrage near Rajahmundry in the wee hours of Saturday.

Appa Rao's death had struck a sentimental chord with many people in and around the village as they hire his Force Motors Toofan, the same vehicle which plunged into Godavari water, to go for pilgrimages in the state. It was the major source of income for Rao.

As many as 22 people, including nine women, seven children and six men, all belonging to Appa Rao's family died in the accident.

The deceased included Appa Rao, 51, his wife E. Kanaka, 50, his three sons, Venkat Raju, 32, Prasad, 27,  and Gopi, 25, his daughters-in-law Lakshmi, 28, Anna-purna, 26, daughter and son-in-law K.V. Laxmi, 32, and Kona Ramana, 40, his grandchildren E. Limith, 5, E. Harsitha, 2, E. Kartheek, 8, E. Navya, 4, Kona Sai, 6, and relatives, D. Nookalamma, 65, P. Sujatha, 28, Allu Kasu, 38, P. Naveen, E. Chinatalli, 65, E Ram-babu, 38, E. Kondamma, 30, and E. Sandhya, 13.

One of the villagers, K Ramesh, reminisced that it was Appa Rao who had taken many people on pilgrimage in his four-wheeler and ensured a smooth travel. “It is painful to know that the same man who facilitated pilgrimages has met a tragic end during a pilgrimage with his family.” Now, it is only 75-year-old father of Appa Rao, E. Venkulu, a mentally-retarded person, who is surviving in his family.

Appa Rao’s elder son Raju was also a driver. His second son, Prasad, a B.Tech graduate, works as an engineer at Quantum Clothing in Atchutapuram SEZ and the youngest was an employee at Brandix.