In a bizarre incident, four persons were burnt alive and one died in hospital, after the SUV in which they were travelling rammed a tipper and burst into flames near the Kadapa airport early on Monday.
The incident happened around 3 a.m. on the Kadapa-Tadipatri highway between Goturu and Tholla Gangannapalle villages of Valluru mandal.
The SUV was allegedly involved in illegal ferrying of red sanders logs and the four deceased in it were woodcutters from Tamil Nadu. They were overspeeding after sensing police movement on their heels, when the accident occurred. The police lay in wait based on a tip-off.
The SUV had taken a detour to avoid the police, but crashed straight into the tipper.
According to Superintendent of Police K.K.N. Anburajan, the bodies were burnt beyond recognition and they could get the details only from those rescued. The red sanders logs were also totally damaged.
Escort car too collides
Fire engulfed the vehicle as soon as it hit the tipper’s diesel tank. Rajan, Ramachandran, Kathiravan and Muthaiah were charred to death. The fire intensified after another car collided with the SUV from behind. The third vehicle was an escort in the smuggling operation.
Of the three rescued and rushed to the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) from the escort vehicle, one unidentified person died under treatment, while the other two have been identified as Muni and Murthy, who speak Tamil, said the SP.
Fire tenders were rushed to the spot and it took three hours for the rescue operation to be completed.
Valluru police have registered a case and are investigating.
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