The remains of three tourists from Andhra Pradesh, who died in a boat accident in Vietnam, were returned to their places of origin on Tuesday, with the state government coordinating their repatriation.
The bodies of Modiam Sridhar (45) from Kadapa, Gili Jayashree (35) from Machilipatnam and Nalapeeta Ravi Teja (41) from Hindupur arrived at the cargo terminal of Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad around 7.20 am via Mumbai. After completing the legal formalities in Mumbai, the bodies were flown to Hyderabad and transported to their hometown in ambulances organized by the Andhra Pradesh government.
Minister of State for Non-Resident Indian Affairs Kondapalli Srinivas and officials of the Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Association (APNRT) coordinated the repatriation after receiving the bodies at the airport.
“The government will stand by the bereaved families and provide all possible assistance. We are taking initiatives to protect the interests of non-resident Telugus,” Srinivas said.
A pall of gloom descended on Ravi Teja’s family when his mortal remains reached his residence in the Housing Board Colony in Hindupur town of Sri Sathya Sai district on Tuesday evening.
“The Vietnam trip marked Ravi Teja’s first ever international flight. In fact, it was also his first flight. He had never flown before. Before leaving for Vietnam, he came to me and asked me what it would be like to fly,” Ashwin Raj, his cousin, told reporters.
Ravi Teja worked as a distributor for a mobile phone company and is survived by his wife Vedasree and two daughters Shloka and Sahasra.
“He was the only son of Adishaya and Sandhyarani. His father died several years ago due to illness, leaving Raviteja the sole breadwinner of the family,” Raj said.
He said Ravi Teja left for Vietnam on July 8, and the family prayed for his safe return. “We never imagined that he would meet such a tragic end,” he said.
Equally emotional scenes were played out in Kadapa, where hundreds of mourners gathered at Sridhar’s residence near the old bus stand to have a last glimpse of his remains.
Sridhar’s wife, Dhanalakshmi, collapsed when she saw her husband’s body.
“He was not, in fact, willing to go on the trip without me. He went reluctantly. He told me he would reveal good news when he returned on Sunday. But I received nothing but bad news,” she said.
She recalled speaking to him about an hour before the tragedy occurred.
She added: “He seemed very excited about his fun trip at sea. He was supposed to leave Vietnam by Saturday evening. But tragedy struck in the afternoon.”
She said her husband was a fitness enthusiast.
“He took great care of keeping his body fit. He used to tell me that he would take care of me all his life. Now, there is no one to take care of me and my children,” she said sadly.
Similar scenes were witnessed at Gili Jayashree’s residence in Khajalipeta, Machilipatnam, where hundreds of people gathered to pay their last respects.
Jayashree, the wife of businessman Gilly Kishore, died in the accident, while Kishore continues to receive treatment in a hospital in Vietnam.
A close family acquaintance said: “We have not yet received updates on his health condition, although officials say he is out of danger.”
The three victims were among a group of distributors from southern India on an incentive tour organized by mobile phone maker Lava International. The tragedy occurred on Saturday afternoon when a boat carrying 32 Indian tourists capsized off Phu Quoc Island, a popular tourist destination, after being caught in strong winds.
