Four pilgrims from Salem district of Tamil Nadu, on their way to Tirumala, were killed on the spot, and nine others were injured, three of them critically, when a fish-laden van from the opposite direction collided with their SUV at Sankhampalle village of Pakala mandal on the Puthalapattu-Naidupeta NH, 35 from here, at around 1 a.m. on Sunday.
According to the Pakala police, the pilgrim party from Thalaviselvi village of Atur Taluq was about to reach Tirupati in 45 minutes, when tragedy overtook them.The driver of cargo van on its way to Kerala from Nellore swerved to extreme right and collided with the passenger vehicle.
The impact left both the vehicles capsize on the middle of the road. The drivers of passing vehicles informed the police at Pakala, 7 km away, and the rescue operation was delayed for a considerable time. Bodies were shifted to the Government District Headquarters at Chittoor. Three of the injured were rushed to Christian Medical College Hospital at Vellore (TN), as their condition remained critical. Six others, undergoing treatment at SVRR Hospital at Tirupati, were declared out of danger.The deceased were identified as Kanmani (45), Lokesh (14), Kaja Priya (14) and (SUV) driver Venkatachalam (40).
The police cleared the traffic jam on the NH after a two-hour ordeal. A case was registered, and the van driver was taken into custody.
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