Three members of a family died when the mini van in which they were travelling overturned at Pulagampalli in Nallamada mandal of the district in the early hours of Sunday.
Nallamada CI said that Chintakayala Eswaraiah, 20, Chintakayala Chalapathi, 55, and Chintakayala Pogadamma, 45, died on the spot while eight others received minor injuries and were safe.
The 15 persons in the van returning from Tirumala, who were half asleep, were just two kilometres away from their village when the vehicle toppled, rolled down and landed on its side in a nearby agricultural field.
The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital and were all discharged after first aid.
The police suspect the van driver had dozed off at the wheel as the road was in a good condition and there was no other vehicle there at that time.
While Chalapathi and Pogadamma were a couple, Eswaraiah was their close relative from the same village.
