Seven people died and two are in a critical state after a tempo traveller carrying 12 passengers fell into a gorge on the Maredumilli - Chinturu ghat road, East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday. The vehicle lost control and veered off the road. The incident occurred at around 12 noon.

The victims were tourists - 10 of them from Karnataka and two from Anantapur. According to the police, the tempo was travelling from Bhadrachalam to Annavaram.

Speaking to TNM, SP Adnan Nayeem Asmi said, “Seven of them are dead; two are critical, while the other three suffered minor injuries.”

The victims who are critical are being treated at Rampachodavaram and Kakinada Government Hospital. Police and locals helped in getting the victims out and shifted them to hospitals.

The SP also left to the spot to examine how the accident occurred. 

The SP said, “We are yet to determine what caused the accident. The preliminary investigation has begun already.”

Two years ago, in a similar accident, 11 persons were killed and 30 were injured after a private bus travelling on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway fell into a culvert. The bus was owned by TDP leader JC Prabhakar Reddy, and the incident took place near Penuganchiprolu in Krishna district.

Further details are awaited. 

(This is a developing story, and will be updated.)