Fourteen persons, including eight women and an infant, were killed and four others injured when a minibus flipped over the median and crashed into a lorry on the other side of National Highway 44 in Veldurthi mandal, 35 km from Kurnool, in the early hours of Sunday.
Two of the injured are said to be critical and shifted to the Governemnt Hospital at Kurnool. Twelve of the deceased belonged to a family residing at NTR Colony in Madanapalle. The four injured children are reportedly the only survivors in the family.
According to the Veldurthi police, the minibus was on its way from Madanapalle in Chittoor district to Ajmer dargah in Rajasthan when the accident occurred at Madhapuram village. The impact was such that all the 14 deceased were killed on the spot.
The deceased are identified as Shaik Nowjeerabi (65), sons Shaik Dasthagiri (50), Shaik Rafi (36), Shaik Jafarwali (30), daughter Shaik Nowjiya (34), daughters-in-law Shaik Ammazan (35), Shaik Masthani (32), Shaik Roshini (29), grandson Shaik Mohammad Rihan (1), granddaughters Shaik Shamreen (16), Shaik Amreen, relative Shaik Ameerjan (63), Nazir (55, minibus owner) and Shaik Shafi (38, driver).
The injured are grandchildren Shaik Kasif (14), Shaik Yasmin (5), Shaik Asma (8) and Shaik Musa Asin (4).
Collector G. Veerapandian, Superintendent of Police P.K. Fakeerappa and senior officials from Kurnool rushed to the spot. They told the media that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had been informed about the accident.
Deputy Transport Commissioner (Kurnool) Suman said that the minibus was in a good condition and had all the valid documents.
Govt. aid
Minister for Panchayat Raj P. Ramachandra Reddy, speaking to the media at Ramakuppam in Chittoor district, said that the State government would ensure proper treatment to the injured children and aid to the bereaved families. The Minister asked Madanapalle MLA Nawaz Basha to make arrangements for the last rites of the deceased.
Though the driver’s negligence is said to be the cause of the tragedy, another version cites a tyre burst leading to the accident.
Rescue efforts
Lorry driver Farooq Basha of Banaganapalle mandal, the eyewitness, told the reporters that the mishap had occurred around 3.30 a.m. Seeing the minibus jump the median, he had stopped the lorry. However, within seconds, the bus had ploughed into the stationary lorry, he said.
“In pitch darkness, we could rescue four children from the mangled bus with the help of the local residents. Another rescued child died later. The police and ambulance personnel later retrieved 14 bodies using a crane and a gas cutter,” he said. He was transporting a cement load from Warangal to Tadipatri in Anantapur district in the lorry.
“Three of their relatives from Madanapalle have left for Kurnool to escort the bodies. We are expecting the bodies to arrive here in the early hours (of Monday) after post-mortem,” circle inspector (Madanapalle Taluq) M. Srinivasulu told The Hindu.
TDP national President N. Chandrababu Naidu and General Secretary N. Lokesh expressed shock at the tragedy and urged the State government to extend quality medicare to the injured and assistance to the kin of the deceased.
