Jaggery kiosk gutted

Eluru: A jaggery kiosk was gutted in a major fire that broke out at Yarnagudem village in Devarapalli mandal in West Godavari district on Saturday. The fire officials estimated the loss at Rs 25 lakh.

According to information, Dantuluri Ramaraju of Bhimavaram was running jaggery business at Yarnagudem village. He used to manufacture the jaggery by establishing a kiosk in the village. He stocked oil palm waste in the kiosk yard to use it in the ovens that used to make jaggery.

On Saturday at 2. 30 pm, the oil palm waste caught fire due to severe heat. The people immediately informed the fire officials at Nidadavole. Before fire tenders from Nidadavole reached the spot, the flames engulfed the kiosk and yard. All the machinery and big oven were gutted in the mishap. The fire officials tried to control the fire but by 4.30 pm, the ablaze was uncontrollable even by the fire officials. As there was no one in the kiosk compound, owner Ramaraju suffered property loss of about Rs 25 lakh.