Four Tirumala-bound pilgrims from Kerala were killed on the spot and six others were injured, two of them critically, when the car in which they were travelling had a collision with a private bus at Madhavan Thopu of Bangarupalem mandal on Chittoor-Bengaluru NH, 10 km from here, in the early hours of Sunday.
A 10-member party belonging to two related families from Madira and Kumbla villages of Manjasura Taluq of Kasaragod district of Kerala was proceeding to Tirumala.
The driver in a bid to overtake an oil container had collided with the bus which was on its way to Bengaluru. As the driver swerved to extreme right, the impact fell on the rear portion of the vehicle.
The deceased, including a woman, were identified as Girija (47), Sadasiva Gatti (50), Majappa Gatti (56) and Fakeer Gatti (75). The injured included Nagaveni (49), Oja Gatti (59); Harish (35); Lakshmi (55), Madhavan (47) and Umesh (43,driver). Bodies of the deceased were shifted to Government Area Hospital at Bangarupalem, and two of the injured in serious condition were shifted to Government District Headquarters Hospital here.
Four other injured, including the driver, were given first aid at Bangarupalem.
Deputy SP K. Chowdeswari spoke to the injured at the hospital in Bangarupalem. A case was registered and investigation is on.
One killed
In another accident, a lorry cleaner, Vadde Ganesh, 23, was killed and a youth Seshaphani was injured when a car hit their motorcycle from behind at Gargeyapuram in Kurnool mandal on Saturday.
Accompanied by his friend Seshaphani, he was going to Gargeyapuram to bring commodities for ‘annadanam’ to devotees when the car lost control due to tyre burst and hit his two-wheeler. Ganesh succumbed to injuries before being shifted to hospital. The car driver fled abandoning the vehicle. A case was registered, according to Kurnool Rural Circle Inspector Ismail.
Narrow escape
Meanwhile, 70 passengers escaped unhurt when two rear tyres of an APSRTC bus came off and the bus got embedded in mud near Gosanipalle in Peapully mandal of Kurnool district on Sunday. The RTC bus of Dhone depot was going from N. Racherla in Peapully mandal to Dhone when the mishap took place.
