Six members of a family were killed and 15 others were injured in a road accident in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district early on Wednesday. The police said that the passengers were travelling in an auto trolley which was hit by a truck from behind near Peddahuthur village.
The family was on their way to a dargah at Eltari for the tonsuring ceremony of a newborn when the accident occurred. According to the police, 21 people were travelling in the vehicle. The dead include three youth, two children and a woman.
According to media reports, the deceased have been identified as Khaja, Mohammad, Hussain, Asif, Fathima and Asra.
The injured were admitted to a government-run hospital in Kurnool after passersby alerted the police and called the 108 ambulance service. They are presently undergoing treatment. Kurnool District Superintendent of Police Gopinath Jatti also visited the accident spot along with other police officials.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu also took note of the incident and directed officials to provide the best possible treatment to the injured.
Opposition leader Jaganmohan Reddy of the YSRCP also expressed condolences to the families of the deceased.
“YS Jaganmohan Reddy has expressed grief over the loss of human life in the road accident at Peddahuthur village in Kurnool district and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family members and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured,” the YSRCP said in a press note.
A case has been registered and the police said that an investigation was underway.
Last month, three people of the same family in Andhra Pradesh’s Rajahmundry town lost their lives in a firecracker related blast. A minor boy also succumbed to his injuries in the incident. According to the Rajahmundry police, the incident took place in Subbaraopeta area of Lalacheruvu in a thatched hut, which was occupied by a family of six. The family was said to be making fireworks with certain explosive materials at home when the incident took place.
(With IANS inputs)