TIRUPATI: A senior cameraman working in Tirupati for a Telugu news channel died of COVID-19 on Sunday, making it the first death reported from the media fraternity in Andhra Pradesh.
The 46-year-old started his career as a video journalist in a local cable channel and later went to joing mainstream vernacular news channels in the state. He was working as a video jouranalist for the past 25 years and was survived by wife and two children.
The cameraman was suffering from throat related problems and visited the COVID-19 hospital attached to SVIMS at Tirupati on Saturday. He got admitted in the isolation ward immediately for treatment but succumbed to the coronavirus on Sunday evening.
The video journalist's death was mourned by several political personalities including Deputy CM K Narayana Swamy, information and public relations minister Perni Venkataramaiah, MPs PV Midhun Reddy, Balli Durga Prasad, N Reddeppa and others.
TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, extending condolences to the family members of the video journalist, tweeted, ''Deeply saddened to learn about the death of senior cameraman who was undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at Sri Padmavathi hospital in Tirupati. He devoted three decades of his life to bring out stories that matter to people. My prayers are with his family and friends".
TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh, in a tweet, condoled the death of the video journalist and asked media personnel to be alert and aware during this crisis and take care of themselves and their families.