In a horrific accident on Friday, 20 people were killed and 15 were injured when a speeding truck rammed into a car and a crowd of protesting farmers before knocking down a high tension power cable pole in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Also, the vehicle ran into a shop before coming to a halt.
The accident occurred outside the Yerpedu police station, 20 km from Tirupati when a group of 40 farmers from Mangalapalem village was staging a dharna, demanding an end to sand smuggling from the Swarnamukhi river bed, police said.
The Superintendent of Police, Tirupati (Urban), Jaya lakshmi, said 14 of the deceased were electrocuted when the truck hit an electricity pole. Of the 15 injured, many suffered burn injuries, he said.
Some two-wheelers parked at the spot also caught fire after coming into contact with the live wire.
While police said the accident occurred as the driver of the Tirupati-bound truck lost control over the vehicle, eyewitnesses alleged that the vehicle ran into the crowd deliberately.
“A probe has been ordered into the accident,” said Chittoor District Superintendent
G Srinivas.
Twenty people, most of them farmers, died on the spot. Eyewitnesses said there was a pool of blood and many bodies were reduced to mangled flesh and bones. “People heard the shrieks and cries of the wounded, many of whom suffered fractures,” said eyewitnesses.
Eleven people, including four women, died on the spot while nine others succumbed to their injuries . The condition of six of the injured was stated to be critical, hospital sources said.
Three local journalists who were on the spot to cover the farmers’ protest too got injured and were later shifted to the TTD-run Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed shock over the accident and announced an ex-gratia of
Rs 5 lakh to the kith and kin of every deceased person.
He directed the Ministers and top officials to rush to the scene of the accident and provide succor to the victims.