Five people killed in road accidents in Telangana

New Year began on a tragic note as two pedestrians were killed when a car ran amok in Hyderabad on Sunday morning, January 1. Two others were injured in the accident that occurred in Banjara Hills. A car, which was heading towards Punjagutta from Jubilee Hills check post, swerved sharply hitting two pedestrians and the cars parked by the roadside. 

Two persons, including a woman who was standing in front of a tiffin centre, died on the spot. Two others were injured and shifted to a hospital. Police said three cars were damaged in the accident. The car driver apparently lost control, hitting the pedestrians and parked cars.

Police suspect that the man driving the car was under the influence of alcohol. Both the occupants of the cars were students of an engineering college. The accident took place hours after New Year celebrations and an intensive drive by the police against drunk driving.

Meanwhile, in another tragic incident, three people were killed and five were injured when granite blocks fell off a truck and crushed the auto rickshaw in which they were travelling. The ghastly mishap occurred in Telangana's Mahabubabad district when a group of auto rickshaw drivers were on their way to collect money for New Year celebrations. The incident happened near the Kuravi police station on the Warangal-Khammam highway. The deceased were identified as Y Srikant, B Suman and D Naveen, all aged 30. Five others were injured and admitted to the hospital.

The victims were from Mangoligudem village and all were said to be auto rickshaw drivers. They plied their three-wheelers till Saturday evening and then left for Kuravi village to collect the money from millers on the eve of New Year. When the auto rickshaw in which they were travelling reached Somlatanda, it collided with a truck laden with huge granite blocks coming from the opposite direction. The auto rickshaw fell off the road into bushes and the granite blocks from the truck also fell on them.

Police rushed to the spot and removed the granite blocks with the help of cranes. Srikant died on the spot. Suman succumbed while undergoing treatment at Mahabubabad hospital while the third youth Naveen breathed his last when he was being shifted to the MGM Hospital Warangal.