Laddu-making at Tirumala faces glitch

• 4 sustain simple injuries, staff scared
• Gas leak in fire extinguisher
• Ingredients of laddu, boondi destroyed

Tirumala: ‘Laddu’ preparation in this famous temple town was stopped on Monday after gas from a fire extinguisher in the ‘laddu-boondi’ unit, located behind the ‘Pushkarni’, leaked at around 4 pm, resulting in minor injuries to four staff. The raw material used for making laddu was totally destroyed in the incident following which the staff ran for their lives. Chemical-mixed foam, dry power bundi, ghee, dry grapes, kaju and cardamom fell to the ground from the 75-kg tank. ‘Chana’ flour stored in ten huge vessels and ’bundi’ kept in five trays were spoiled.

The unit was set up by the TTD as the temple kitchen, ‘Potu’, was found to be inadequate to meet the increasing demand for ‘laddu’, which is the most relished ‘prasadam’ by devotees. The unit staff said they were scared by the sudden leak. The unit prepares daily 1.5 lakh to two lakh laddus. Forty staff of each of three batches work throughout the day in preparing the laddu mix.

Officials of TTD and fire-fighting staff rushed to the unit. They found that leak had occurred after the life span of the fire extinguisher was over.