Four farmers were killed and four others injured after an iron shed collapsed due to heavy winds in Telangana's Mancherial district on Tuesday night, 6 May 2025, officials confirmed on Wednesday. The incident occurred at Luxettipet, where powerful gusts and rain caused widespread destruction, compounding an already dire situation for farmers waiting at government procurement centres with their harvested produce.

What Happened at Luxettipet

The four deceased farmers have been identified as Venkatesh, Abhiram, Lacchanna, and Nagaraju. The four injured survivors have been admitted to hospitals in Luxettipet and Karimnagar, according to officials. Thunderstorms lashed several districts of Telangana on Tuesday night, uprooting trees and toppling electricity poles across the affected areas.

Farmers' Produce Damaged at Procurement Centres

Beyond the fatalities, the storms caused heavy financial losses to farmers who had brought paddy, maize, and other produce to government procurement centres. In Peddapalli district, grain stocks kept outside procurement centres were soaked in heavy rain, reportedly ruining large quantities of harvested crops. Affected farmers alleged that authorities had delayed procurement of their produce, forcing them to wait at the centres for up to 10 days. The delay, they said, left their crops exposed to the elements with no adequate shelter.

Political Reaction: BRS and BJP Demand Action

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working President K.T. Rama Rao conveyed condolences to the families of the deceased and demanded immediate government intervention. Terming the incident heartbreaking, he asked: "Are farmers' lives like lamps in the wind?" He called on the state government to announce an ex gratia payment of ₹25 lakh to each deceased farmer's family and provide better medical assistance to the injured. Rama Rao also alleged that the Congress-led state government was showing apathy by refusing to procure crops that farmers had toiled over for months. "In just three days, seven farmers have died at various procurement centres. These are nothing but murders committed by the state government," he said, demanding the immediate purchase of all crops lying at warehouses and procurement centres across the state.

State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President N. Ramchander Rao also expressed shock over the deaths, saying the farmers lost their lives while trying to protect harvested rice amid heavy rain and gusty winds. Posting on X, he urged the state government to immediately provide financial assistance to the bereaved families and extend all necessary support during this difficult time.

A Pattern of Procurement Failures

The tragedy at Luxettipet is not an isolated incident. According to BRS, at least seven farmers have died at various procurement centres across Telangana in just three days — a claim that has not been independently verified but points to a systemic failure in the state's agricultural procurement infrastructure. The allegation that farmers were made to wait for 10 days without their produce being purchased — and without adequate shelter — raises serious questions about the readiness of the procurement machinery ahead of the harvest season. With the pre-monsoon storm season already underway, the risk of further damage to stored produce remains high unless the government expedites procurement operations.