At least seven persons, including six women farm workers, were killed after their seven-seater autorickshaw and a container truck had a head-on collision near Angadipeta X roads of Pedda Adiserlapally in the district on Thursday.
Four others, of the dozen occupants of the autorickshaw, who suffered severe injuries were rushed to Hyderabad for emergency care.
According to Gudipally police, the accident occurred around 6.30 p.m., outside the Essar filing station on the Nagarjunsagar-Hyderabad highway near Angadipeta X roads.
Footage retrieved from the CCTVs of the filling station at the accident site, shows the rickshaw and the truck colliding head-on, when another mini transport vehicle was overtaking the truck from the left on the two-lane highway.
Police identified the victims who breathed their last at the accident site as Kottam Mallesham, 40, the transporter; Nomula Peddamma, 40; Nomula Anjamma, 50; Godugu Iddamma, 48; Kottam Peddamma, 50; Kottam Chandramma, 35 and Nomula Saidamma.
All the women were agricultural workers from Chinthabavi village of the neighbouring Devarakonda mandal, and were returning home after work.
Inconsolable relatives of the victims who reached the spot said the women had left the village early morning for paddy transplantation work at Pothnur village of Peddavoora mandal, 30 kms away.
District Superintendent of Police A.V. Ranganath reached the accident site and directed emergency services. Bodies of the victims were shifted to the Devarakonda Area hospital for post-mortem.
CM expresses shock
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao expressed shock over the ghastly accident, and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families. He directed officials for enhanced medical care of the severely injured and the survivors.
