Lucky escape for 15 migrant workers in Ankireddypalli

ANKIREDDYPALLI : Close to 12 noon on Thursday, Sandeep Reddy (28), a worker at the weighbridge operating inside a private stone crushing plant in Ankireddypalli village was getting ready to retire after his night duty. He along with nearly 50 other migrant labourers who work at the plant have been given accomodation in concrete labour quarters lined in a row, which is to the north of the premises, adjoining some agricultural fields.“I heard loud noise advancing towards me.

The floors and the walls started to vibrate and I rushed out to see an aircraft flying low over our rooms. So close that it crashed nearly 20 metres away from where I was standing,” said Reddy, who hails from Narsapur in Medak district. The aircraft had actually landed some 2-5 metres away from the houses. Reddy further added that many of the labourers had left for their hometowns owing to the festival round the corner. “Close to 15 of us are Telugus and rest are all from other places. Only a few of us were here in our rooms at the time of incident. But, it was a near miss experience that would stay with me for life,” he added. 

According to him, aircrafts flying over the place is a regular affair. “We see aircrafts twice a day over our place. This time around, I could see the wrecked aircraft engulfed in thick black smoke. As soon as it crashed, it was engulfed in fire,” added Reddy. The workers informed police and fire brigade who according to him arrived at the spot in less than 15 minutes from Keesara. “Two fire brigade teams came here and brought fire under control.” Another labourer from the plant, Ram Mane, who hails from Beohari town of Madhya Pradesh said that he saw a yellowish-white parachute descending close to the place soon after the aircraft crashed.