Lorry driver in Vizag sets himself on fire, succumbs to injuries

A 32-year-old lorry driver was charred to death at Autonagar in Gajuwaka, Vizag, on Monday morning. The deceased, identified as G Narsi Reddy, belonged to Veliminedu in Nalgonda district, Telangana.

According to sources, Narsi Reddy, along with another driver Madhu, travelled from Miryalaguda and unloaded cargo in Odisha four days ago. They loaded the lorries with sand and reached Vizag on Sunday. While his companion, Madhu, got down to interact with other drivers, Narsi Reddy parked his lorry near Gajuwaka and slept inside the vehicle, that night. Around 6 AM on 21 September, locals saw the 32-year-old engulfed in flames. A police patrolling team rushed to the scene and tried to extinguish the fire. Unfortunately, the victim succumbed to burn injuries. The body was unrecognisable as it suffered severe burns. The Gajuwaka Police had then launched an inquiry about missing persons in the area and found that two lorries had come to the area from Telangana and one of the lorry drivers was missing. Later, the cops identified the deceased as Narsi Reddy.

Reportedly, the Visakhapatnam City Police found a diesel can and a box of matches, a few meters away from the dead body. With several scrap shops in the vicinity and a history of fighting among scrap thieves in the area, the cops had initially suspected it to be a case of murder. It was later revealed in the investigation that Narsi Reddy died by suicide.

Speaking to Yo! Vizag, Gajuwaka Police Station Circle Inspector (CI), Suri Naidu, confirmed that the 32-year-old lorry driver died after setting himself on fire. Sharing further details, the Gajuwaka Police Station Circle Inspector said, “We contacted Narsi Reddy’s brother. He informed that the deceased suffered from mental illness and was on medication. The victim’s family added that Narsi Reddy had been upset for the past couple of weeks and unwilling to go to work.”