Four persons were killed, three of them on the spot, and eight others were grievously injured when the van in which they were traveling collided with a lorry on the outskirts of Srikalahasti, 35 km from here, in the early hours of Monday.
According to information, a 12-member group from Chandragiri mandal was returning home after participating in the local jatara at Kanupuramma temple near Naidupeta of Gudur division. Around 2. a.m., a lorry collided with the van at high speed.
The accident spot is located at a sharp curve on the Naidupet-Puthalapattu bypass road close to Ardhanareeswara Swamy temple on the outskirts of Srikalahasti.
The victims were identified as Arjunaiah and Narasamma and their relative Kavya (23). Dharani (11), succumbed to injuries at a Tirupati hospital.
Of the nine injured four were children aged below 10. The Srikalahasti sub-division police rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to the government area hospital at Srikalahasti and later to the SVRR Hospital at Tirupati for better care.
The accident resulted in a major traffic snarl on the busy national highway, giving a tough time to the police.
District Collector K. Venkataramana Reddy called on the injured at SVRR Hospital and assured them and their family members of all possible assistance from the government. The Srikalahasti police registered a case and took up further investigation.
