Andhra Pradesh: Fire in Nellore claims life of disabled girl, 14 families homeless

Tirupati: A massive fire tore through Burma Shell Gunta locality in Nellore city on Thursday, resulting in the death of a 12-year-old physically challenged girl and leaving more than a dozen families homeless.

The fire is suspected to have been caused by an electrical short circuit in one of the thatched huts. The fire spread rapidly through the densely packed settlement, engulfing the huts within minutes.

According to eyewitnesses, residents scrambled to escape the fire. However, a disabled minor girl Naga Lakshmi got trapped inside one of the burning huts and could not be rescued in time. "It was a heart-wrenching scene. The fire spread so quickly. We could hear the cries of help from the trapped girl inside. Despite our best efforts, we couldn't save her," recounted a local resident.

In total, 14 huts got reduced to ashes, leaving more than a dozen families with nothing but clothes on their backs. The cause of the fire accident is currently under investigation. Local authorities suspect an electrical short circuit may be the likely cause.

Nellore MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy, along with ministers P. Narayana and Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, expressed deep anguish over the incident. They assured all possible support to the victims. Minister Narayana announced immediate relief of ₹15,000 per affected family and ₹30,000 for the family of the deceased disabled girl from his personal funds.

District collector M. Hari Narayana visited the fire site immediately after the incident to assess the damage and console the victims. “The government will extend full support to the victims and their families", he assured.