One dead, 10 hurt as auto rams tree

One person died and 10 commuters were injured, five of them grievously, after a speed ing auto-rickshaw rammed a tree at Amrutalinga Nagar village of Sarubujjili village in Srikakulam district on Wednesday.

SRIKAKULAM: One person died and 10 commuters were injured, five of them grievously, after a speed ing auto-rickshaw rammed a tree at Amrutalinga Nagar village of Sarubujjili village in Srikakulam district on Wednesday. The accident occurred when the auto was on way to Matalabupeta from Sarubujjili.

The deceased has been identified as Pedada Paparao (58), a resident of Matalabupeta of Sarubujjili mandal. According to Sarubujjili sub-inspector Ashok Babu, the incident happened around 3.30 pm.

As the auto-rickshaw was jam-packed, the driver lost control over the vehicle when it was going at good speed and rammed a roadside tree at Amrutalinga Nagar on way to Matalabupeta from Sarubujjili, he said. On a tip-off, police rushed to the spot and shifted the victims to Srikakulam RIMS Hospital.

The doctors declared Pedada Paparao brought dead. While Tavitamma and Surya Narayana sustained severe bone fractures and  three others received head injuries. A case has been registered at Sarubujjili police station. Investigation is on.