In a gory road mishap, five persons were killed on the spot and three others grievously injured when the auto-rikshaw they were travelling in was crushed by a speeding lorry at Timmapuram village of KVB Puram mandal near Srikalahasti on Wednesday.
The area police said that the auto with passengers from Srikalahasti was proceeding towards Pichhatur, while the lorry was going towards Srikalahasti. In the head-on collision, the auto was totally crushed and the lorry's body stood on it.
The incident took place at around 3.40 p.m. As the KVB Puram sub-inspector was away at Kuppam on bandobast duty for Chief Minister's programme, the head constable rushed to the spot. "As of now, we noticed five bodies in the mangled auto below the lorry. Two women and a man, who were injured, rushed to Government Hospital at Srikalahasti. The deceased mostly hailed from nearby Kovanur village," he said.
In view of the bodies getting entangled in the mangled steel, the police and the locals are finding it difficult to pull them out. The police sought the help of the fire department personnel at Srikalahasti to bring a crane to lift the lorry. Further details are awaited.
The 40-km long Srikalahasti-Pichhatur road is the most dangerous step with many road mishaps taking place due to its narrow formation.
