Six persons were killed and seven were injured in a road accident that took place in the early hours of Thursday at Tukkuluru village near Nuzvid of Krishna district.
The deceased, all natives of Station Thota, Nuzvid town, were identified as Gurram Srinu (35), Pandeti Veeraiah (45), Garike Krishna Kishore (30), Kalavakollu Srinu (40), Pandenti Rani (22) and Kalavakollu Chinna Venkateswararao (70), according to the Nuzvid rural police.
According to the police, about 20 members belonging to two families started their journey to visit Gubbala Mangamma Temple, Jangareddygudem in West Godavari district, in the midnight at Nuzvid in two mini trucks. As they reached Tukkuluru, driver of one vehicle pulled over at Anajaneyaswami Temple as he noticed a problem with a tyre and began repairing it.
The Passengers then climbed down the two vehicles and stood on the roadside looking for alternative transport.
Meanwhile, at around 12.45 a.m. a speeding truck moving towards Hanuman Junction from Nuzvid crashed into the crowd killing five persons on the spot. “Upon receiving information five minutes past 1 a.m., we reached the spot and rushed the injured to Nuzvid hospital where Kalavakollu Chinna Venkateswararao died. The condition of the remaining persons is stable. Five of them are being treated at Nuzivd while one person is admitted to a private hospital in Vijayawada and other one at Guntur,” Nuzvid rural sub-inspector Ch. Nagaprasad told The Hindu. The driver of the truck Donka Ramesh of Vijayawada, who fled was later nabbed and is in police custody.
Driver booked
The driver told the police that that he failed to notice the people as visibility was very poor. He had been booked and investigation is on. Nakka Jamalaiah (22), Devarakonda Ramana (25), Tuvvakula Ramulu (30), Kalavakollu Ramana (35), Nandyala Durga Rao (30), Kalavakollu Pedda Venkateswara Rao (74) and Kalavakollu Ramulamma (60) are among the injured.
Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas visited the bereaved family members in Nuzvid and also visited the accident spot. He consoled the victims undergoing treatments in hospitals.
Mr. Srinivas ordered the health officials to ensure the best treatment and facilities for the severely injured and said the government would bear the expenditure. Minister N. Chinarajappa also condoled the death of the victims in a statement.
