Representative image of a road accident.
Credit: iStock Photo
Hyderabad: Nine labourers were killed in a horrific road accident when a mangoes-laden truck overturned in Pullampet mandal of Annamayya district late Sunday night. The truck, loaded with mangoes and traveling from Rajampet to Railway Koduru, lost control and overturned near Reddipalli tank. Another 10 labourers were severely injured and shifted to Rajampet Government Hospital for medical treatment.
The victims were tribal daily wage labourers from Settigunta ST Colony in Railway Koduru mandal who had gone to Isukapalli near Rajampet to harvest mangoes. After loading the fruit onto the truck for transport to Railway Koduru market yard, 21 labourers, including two children, sat atop 30 to 40 tons of mangoes secured with ropes for their return journey.
When the truck reached Reddipalli tank during the night, it overturned, and the massive load of mangoes fell on the passengers. Locals immediately responded and managed to save some people. Eight died at the scene from the impact of the falling mangoes, while one person died later during hospital treatment.
With the help of a JCB machine, bodies trapped under the truck were removed. Police identified that all the deceased belonged to Settigunta village in Railway Koduru mandal.
The deceased have been identified as Chittemma (25), Subbaratnamma (45), Gajjala Durgayya (32), Gajjala Sreenu (33), Gajjala Lakshmidevi (36), Radha (39), Gajjala Ramana (42), and Venkata Subbamma (37), who died at the accident site. Munichandra (38) was shifted to Rajampet hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
The bodies were shifted to the government hospital. Police have preliminarily determined that driver negligence caused the accident, though the driver claimed the truck overturned while trying to avoid an oncoming car.
"Last night's truck overturn resulting in a horrific road accident is very distressing. It's unfortunate that people who depend on daily wage labor had to travel on that truck due to circumstances beyond their control," said Annamayya district in-charge minister BC Janardhan Reddy on Monday after visiting the hospital where the injured are receiving treatment.
The minister noted that five women and four men died in the accident, while another 10 people were injured. Four have been admitted locally, four have been referred to Kadapa RIMS, and one has been shifted to Kurnool Government Hospital.
"While governments consistently advise against such dangerous travel, they traveled out of necessity for their livelihood. The fact that almost all the deceased were close relatives from the same family has disturbed us even more," he said.
The minister assured that the government will support the affected families to the extent possible and will submit a report on assistance measures. According to preliminary information, rain was falling at the time, and the accident occurred when the truck skidded while attempting to overtake a vehicle ahead.
"We hope such unfortunate incidents don't occur in the future," he added.