Seven persons were killed while six others sustained grievous injuries after a private bus rammed into an auto-rickshaw in Andhra Pradesh’s Palnadu district in the wee hours of Thursday, police said.
In the aftermath of the incident, the state’s Chief Minister (CM) N Chandrababu Naidu expressed immense grief and shock over the deaths. He also directed the officials to ensure that the injured persons receive the best possible medical aid.
The bus which rammed into the auto-rickshaw
Bus collides with auto-rickshaw at junction
Narasaraopet Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) M Hanumanth Rao told the media that the tragedy unfolded at around 1 am when the private bus, heading towards Tirupati, reached the bypass near Chilakaluripet to pick up a passenger.
After the passenger boarded the bus, the vehicle continued towards the Narasaraopet bus stand. However, near the Kala Mandir junction, it dashed into an auto-rickshaw, as per DSP Rao.
He added that the auto-rickshaw had moved onto the wrong side of the road and came into the path of the bus, which was moving at a speed of 40 kmph.
Rao told news agency PTI, “Seven people were killed while six others were injured in the collision.”
Cops present at the accident scene
According to officials aware of the development, four people died on the spot itself, while three others succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. Police said they have registered a case in connection with the tragic accident, and have invoked provisions relating to causing death by rash or negligent driving.
Victims belong to same village
Officials informed CM Naidu that all the ones who died were residents of Veluru village in Chilakaluripet mandal.
Meanwhile, the ones who sustained injuries were transported to Guntur General Hospital, where they are receiving treatment. Naidu instructed officials to provide the injured with the best possible medical care and ordered them to monitor their health condition continuously.
Another still from the incident
Jagan Mohan Reddy seeks probe
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) Chief and the state’s former CM Jagan Mohan Reddy called the incident ‘heartbreaking’. He said that the fact that all the deceased hailed from the same village belonged to the same village had added a more painful dimension to the case.
He also voiced demands for an in-depth probe into the circumstances leading to the collision and urged the authorities to ramp up road safety measures to prevent similar accidents in the future.