Asia’s biggest chilli market on fire

Guntur chilli yard, known as Asia’s biggest agriculture market yard, burnt to the ground on Saturday in what is being seen as one of the biggest fire accidents in Andhra Pradesh. The yard, spread over nearly 60 acres, was reduced to ashes within few hours after it caught fire around 9.30 am. Even as farmers and traders tried to come to grips with the loss of goods and property worth Rs 85 crore, the reason for the fire wasn’t immediately clear. While local yard officials said it was triggered by a short circuit, Guntur superintendent of police Mahesh Chandra Ladha said it was caused by a carelessly thrown cigarette butt near a stockpile. By the evening, however, yet another reason was given, this time by chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in Hyderabad.
Reddy said the yard caught fire after a lorry hit an electric pole while reversing within the market yard premises at 9.30 am. No loss of life or injury has been reported, but over three lakh bags of chilli — worth nearly Rs 30 crore — went up in flames. Thousands of bags of chilli outside the yard were also destroyed, bringing the total damage to approximately Rs 85 crore.