Villagers loot fish from an overturned lorry in Kothagudem

Kothagudem: With Mrigashira karte set to fall on Wednesday (June 8) the villagers and passersby in Burgampad mandal in the district have had a godsend load of fish at their disposal for free, following an accident. A lorry with a load of live fish overturned at Manugur cross roads in the mandal on Tuesday as the driver of the vehicle lost control of it. Then the fish load was spilled on the road and in the bushes by the side of road.

The fish was said to be transported from Andhra Pradesh to Karimnagar and other places for sale on Wednesday in view of Mrigashira karte. It was a common practice for many to consume fish on the day of Mrigashira karte as it was believed to cure breathing disorders. And with the news of fish spilling on the road the jubilant residents of nearby Singaram and villages rushed to the spot and had a field day going on a looting spree. Commuters too joined them vying with each to grab as many fish as they could. Some carried fish in rice sacks.

It was said that there was around 8 to 10 tonne fish in the lorry when the incident took place. The lorry contained fish varieties like korameenu (Murrel fish), valuga and others. Some alleged that there were banned catfish in the lorry, but was yet to be confirmed. Police who were present at the scene could not control the crowd, gave up and stood watching the spectacle. The driver and others in the vehicle who suffered injuries were shifted to the local government hospital for treatment.