Cotton bales worth more than Rs. 30 crore were reduced to ashes in a major fire accident at a Cotton Corporation of India godown at Challareddypalem near Vetapalem in Prakasam District late on Thursday night.
Five fire tenders from Prakasam District and another from neighbouring Guntur District are fighting the flames in one of the six CCI godowns raging since late on Thursday, Prakasam District Assistant Fire Officer Burra Venkatasurya Ramprakash told The Hindu. ''We were able to save one-fourth of the stock and bring the situation under control'', he added.
Prakasam District Collector Sujatha Sharma, who rushed to the spot, said cotton bales worth over Rs. 30 crore were destroyed in the flames which continued to rage on Friday.
