Five killed in car-truck collision in Andhra Pradesh

Amaravati, March 4 : Five members of a family were killed when a car in which they were travelling rammed into a truck in Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district on Wednesday, police said.

The accident occurred on the Bengaluru-Chennai national highway near Dundapalli cross in Gangavaram mandal.

According to police, the car rammed into a moving truck from behind. All five occupants of the car died on the spot.

The deceased, residents of the Rajaji Nagar area in Bengaluru, were on their way to Tirumala for darshan.

The truck was heading to Kurnool after unloading cement at Palamaneru.

The deceased have been identified as Mohan Das, 71, Nagaraja Rao, 61, Kusuma, 61, Jayanti, 59, and Puja, 33.

Police shifted the bodies for a post-mortem examination. Gangavaram Circle Inspector Rambhupal said they have registered a case and are taking up the investigation.

In another accident in Telangana’s Sangareddy district, a car caught fire. The incident occurred on the National Highway near Nandikandi in Sadashivpet mandal when the car caught fire. Noticing the smoke, the driver immediately stopped the vehicle by the roadside and got out.

The car, which was heading towards Sadashivpet, was completely gutted in the fire. Fire-fighting personnel rushed to the spot and doused the fire.

Meanwhile, 10 devotees were injured after falling in coal fire while walking on it as part of a temple fair in Telangana’s Nalgonda district on Wednesday.

The incident occurred during Aggigundalu (firewalking) as part of Sri Parvathi Jadala Ramalingeshwara Swamy Kalayanotsavam at Amangal in Vemulapalle in Nalgonda district.

As the procession carrying the religious symbol passed over the coal fire, devotees pushed each other, resulting in some of them falling into the fire. At least 10 devotees suffered burn injuries, and police shifted them to the government hospital.

Aggigundalu is considered one of the key rituals of the annual fair, and a large number of devotees participate in it.