Hyderabad: Dreams of migrants destroyed in fire
Hyderabad: They had gone to bed soon after dinner, cracking jokes at each other as usual, but little knowing that there would be no more dawns for them. The 11 migrant workers, whose lives and dreams were charred in the early morning inferno in Bhoiguda, were the sole breadwinners for their families. Caught unawares by […]
Hyderabad: They had gone to bed soon after dinner, cracking jokes at each other as usual, but little knowing that there would be no more dawns for them.
The 11 migrant workers, whose lives and dreams were charred in the early morning inferno in Bhoiguda, were the sole breadwinners for their families. Caught unawares by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, they had stayed in migrant camps in Hyderabad and managed to get back to their hometown in buses. As soon as the restrictions were eased, they returned to work here.
On Wednesday, they were caught unawares again, but this time the fire left them with no option to return.
“Most of them were sole breadwinners and came to the city to earn and help their families back home,” said Raju Ohja, a relative of one of the victims, Deepak Kumar Ram.
Anil Kumar, the uncle of another victim Bittu Kumar Ram, said the workers were crammed in the two small rooms in the scrap warehouse and had to work for extended hours. Some of them had joined work just three or four months ago.
“They were paid between Rs.12,000 to Rs.16,000 per month based on their experience,” he said.
Sintu Kumar and Deepak Kumar Ram, who had joined recently, had left their wives and newborn children back in the village to come to the city.
Recollecting the horrific scene, Ramu, a worker from the neighbouring warehouse, said the entire place was covered with thick smoke and it was hard to even breathe.
“I saw thick smoke from the warehouse and since I knew there were people there, I rushed to the spot. By then, Prem Kumar had jumped from the window on the first floor in an attempt to escape,” he said, adding that a fire engine had already reached the spot and the rescue operation was underway.
When asked about the whereabouts of his colleagues, Prem, who had burns on his face and an injury on his leg, told Ramu that they were trapped in the flames and that the fire was strong that he could not even make an attempt to help them.
He was then shifted to the hospital in an ambulance.
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