Native villages of Bahrain fire victims in grief

Cuddalore, July 31 (UNI) A pall of gloom descended over 11 villages in Cuddalore, Villupuram and Perambalur districts of Tamil Nadu, as the news of 16 people from these villages, killed in the Bahrain fire mishap reached them last night.

Ten villages in Cuddalore and Villupuram distircts and one village in neighbouring Perambalur district were grief stricken as the district officials gave details of those killed and injured in the deadly mishap.

Wails amid an eerie silence rent the air as the villagers, joined by friends and relatives of the families of the victims, who thronged the villages, shared the grief. They were making arrangements to receive the bodies.

Heart rending scenes were witnessed at Sethuvarayankuppam, a hamlet in Cuddalore district as three of those killed-Raja, Rajavelu and Balusamy, hailed from the same street. Wails reverberated the entire street as women wept beating their chests.

Rajavelu's family was the worst hit as he was survived by his wife Muthulakshmi, two sons and a daughter. The villagers were trying in vain to console the family, especially the children, who cried uncontrolably.

Most of those who were killed were either illeterates or semi-literates, gone to Bahrain to take up construction work, after borrowing money from the local money lenders or disposing of their properties like land and cattles.

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