Four of a family charred to death

 Four members of a family from the city died when a van in which they were travelling caught fire on National Highway 205 on the outskirts of Palamaner town on Wednesday morning.

The victims—Satyanarayana, 52, his wife, Mahalakshmi, 45, and their children, Prashanth Kumar, 27, and Deepa Mala, 23—were residents of Sampangirama Nagar in the city. They had gone to the temple town of Tirupati and were returning to the city when the accident occurred.

Satyanarayana, who was apparently driving the vehicle, Mahalakshmi and Deepa Mala who were asleep in the back seat were charred to death. Prashanth Kumar who was seated in the front seat managed to jump out. He was found with serious burns. He was rushed to hospital. Later, he also died.

A senior police official with Palamaner police station who visited the spot told Deccan Herald the accident occurred around 4:10 am. By the time they alerted fire services and rushed to the spot, the police found the van’s doors jammed.

Kanti Rana Tata, SP, Chittoor, told Deccan Herald that the police were investigating the cause of the fire.

Autopsies were conducted on the three bodies at Chittoor Government Hospital. The bodies were handed over to the relatives of the victims on Wednesday afternoon.