Fourteen people died and four others sustained severe injuries in an accident in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, on early Sunday morning. The incident occurred when a minivan reportedly carrying pilgrims from Chittoor to Ajmer, Rajasthan, lost control and hit the side of a truck on National Highway 44 near Madar Puram village.
Following the collision, eight women, five men, and a child died on the spot while four others including two children suffered severe injuries. The people who rushed to the spot carried the injured to the Government Hospital in Kurnool, but the doctors said that their condition is critical.
The authorities required the assistance of heavy machinery to clean the wreckage and remove the bodies from inside. Police suspect that the driver may have dozed off, but further investigation is underway. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has expressed his shock over the incident, and he has instructed officials to make sure that the injured receive the best medical care possible.
“The road accident in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district is saddening. In this hour of sadness, my thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones. I hope that the injured recover at the earliest,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Opposition Leader N Chandrababu Naidu said, “Pained to learn about the gruesome accident that took place in Veldurthi Mandal of Kurnool District. My heart goes out to the 14 families who have lost their loved ones. I wish a speedy recovery to those injured.”
This is the second accident in Andhra Pradesh within 24 hours, since a bus fell into a valley on the Araku Ghat road in Visakhapatnam yesterday afternoon. The accident killed eight people and 15 others, including six children, were injured. Police reports indicate that all of the passengers were from Hyderabad.
