Five die as three vehicles go up in flames

KADAPA: Five persons, said to be red sanders smugglers, were charred to death after three vehicles went up in flames following a road accident on  Kadapa-Anantapur Road on the outskirts of Kadapa town in the early hours of Monday. Police suspect that a gang of red sanders smugglers were chasing another to loot the 30 logs that the other gang possessed.

According to Kadapa rural Circle Inspector Eswar Reddy, between 2.30 am and 3 am, a Scorpio at a high speed rammed into a tipper that came onto the main road. Another car which was following the Scorpio rammed into it from behind.Fire tenders rushed to the spot and after dousing the flames, retrieved the bodies of four persons charred beyond recognition in the Scorpio.

Two others travelling in the car also suffered severe injuries and were shifted to RIMS where one of them died, police said adding two others travelling in the car escaped from the spot. Police found 20 red sanders logs in the Scorpio. Of the five deceased, one was identified as Muniam (35), a red sanders smuggler,  and another was identified as Rajan (36), driver of the Scorpio. 

Police  said there were eight persons travelling in the Scorpio. They had cut the red sanders logs from Seshachalam forest and were travelling towards Tamil Nadu. “A local gang chased them. The Scorpio then rammed into the tipper,’’ police said.