Pushkar stampede victims have a pathetic tale to tell
It may be recalled that over 27 dead persons in the stampede at Pushkar Ghat
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2015-07-16 08:23 GMT
Visakhapatnam: An eerie silence enveloped at Amudalavalasa in Srikakulam district and the simple whitewashed house of A. Krishna at Marikavalasa in Vizag city on Wednesday after bodies of pilgrims who were killed in a stampede at Rajahmundry during the first day of Maha Pushkaralu on Tuesday were brought to their houses.
It may be recalled that over 27 dead persons in the stampede at Pushkar Ghat in Rajahmundry and as many as 19, including, 15 women hailed from North Andhra Pradesh comprising Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts.
“I lost my wife A. Bangaramma, 36, and daughter A. Gowri, 16, in the tragic incident while myself and my son A.R. Babu escaped from death with injuries,” said grief-stricken A. Krishna, an auto-driver by profession and resident of Marikavalasa. My wife and daughter wanted to take the holy dip on the first day of the Pushka-ralu and had gone to the Rajahmundry on Monday night. But, the stampede washed away their desire. I don’t know how to live without my beloved wife and daughter and the Godavari Pushkaralu brought agony to my life, said shell-shocked Krishna.
Similarly, in the locals in Srikakulam said it was great tragedy for family members of B. Koteswara Rao, who lost his son B. Prasanth Kumar, 12, two sisters-in-law P. Lakshmi and P. Amaravathi and his mother-in-law K. Kalavathi. Koteswara Rao is a small businessman at Balagamettu in Srikakulam district had gone to Godvarai Pushkaralu along with his family and relatives, altogether 14 members. The locals said that Rao did a major mistake by taking the entire family on the first day. All the dead were cremated on Wednesday at different places in Vizag, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam.