RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Seven labourers were killed and two injured when a mini truck laden with cashew nuts veered off the road and overturned at Chilakavaripakalu in East Godavari district in the wee hours of Wednesday.
According to Kovvur DSP Deva Kumar, the truck was travelling to Tadimalla village in Nidadavole mandal from Borrampalem village in T Narasapuram mandal, Eluru district. The driver lost control of the steering when the truck reached Chilakavaripakalu. The vehicle had taken a shortcut to avoid check posts. The driver is on the run.
The deceased were Kathava Narayudu (45), Kathava Krishna (40), Thadi Ramakrishna (45), Tammireddy Satyanarayana (45), Desabathula Venkata Rao (40), Bokka Prasad (35), and Penugurthi Chinna Musalayya (35), all from Tadimalla village. When the truck overturned, the labourers were trapped under the cashew nut bags and died on the spot.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy CM K Pawan Kalyan, YSRC president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, and Rajamahendravaram MP Daggubati Purandeswari expressed their condolences to the bereaved families. Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh distributed `5 lakh cheques to each of the families of the deceased.