HYDERABAD: THE South Central Railways reported its first COVID-19 death late on Wednesday. A 54-year-old senior goods guard at Kacheguda, who had tested positive, succumbed to the virus. His wife also tested positive a couple of days before he passed away. His son has tested negative but is under quarantine. The SCR employee used to work in the Kacheguda-Dronachalam section near Kurnool.
On June 4, he went to Dronachalam, stayed in an SCR room and returned to Kacheguda on June 6. A day later, he noticed mild symptoms. Railway health authorities got him tested and the results returned positive. He was admitted to Gandhi Hospital, where he succumbed. Railway officials have started contact tracing and identified a few other staff, who used the same room at Dronachalam that was used by this senior guard and advised them to be under quarantine.
Meanwhile, the guards who gave him charge on June 4 and took charge from him on June 6, were also advised to be under quarantine as a precautionary measure. A total of 18 railway employees who were in contact with him were quarantined.