In a tragic incident, twelve labourers were killed and six others injured when a truck hit an overcrowded autorickshaw in Telangana's Mahabubnagar district on Sunday. The accident occurred near Kothapalle village in Midjil 'mandal' of Mahabubnagar, about 100 km from Hyderabad.
The labourers were returning home after work when the autorickshaw carrying them was hit by a truck coming from the opposite direction.
Police said all the 12 were killed on the spot. Such was the impact of the collision that the autorickshaw was reduced to pieces. The body parts of the deceased were strewn around. The injured were admitted to a government-run hospital in Mahabubnagar.
Following the accident, locals staged a road blockade protesting the failure of authorities in checking the road accidents in the area. They said that the bad condition of the road was causing the accidents. They demanded compensation for the families of the victims. They also blocked the vehicle which was attempting to carry the bodies of the victims to the morgue, and demanded an ex-gratia.
Speaking to reporters, locals complained that the area where the accident took place, had a 'blind spot' and repeated representations to officials did not result in the issue being rectified. Excise Minister V Srinivas Goud and Mahbubnagar Superintendent of Police Rema Rajeswari also reportedly visited the spot, in an attempt to pacify locals.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao expressed shock over the accident.
"The Chief Minister has conveyed his heartfelt sympathies to the family members. The CM has instructed the officials concerned to offer best medical facilities to the injured," a press release from the Chief Minister's Office said in a statement.
IANS inputs