ELURU: Three young men died in a road accident early Saturday near Surappagudem village when an unidentified vehicle hit the motorcycle they were riding.
Police identified the deceased as Saidu Rafi and Koyyagura Sriram alias Bunny, both from Dwaraka Tirumala, and 26-year-old Mandraju Charan from Timmapuram. The trio earned their livelihood through flower decoration work.
Inspector Joseph Wilson said the three had gone to Eluru to purchase flowers on a wholesale basis and were returning to their native villages when the accident occurred. Police rushed to the spot and shifted the bodies to Eluru Government Hospital for postmortem.
Preliminary investigation suggested that the vehicle involved fled the scene after the collision, the inspector said. Police are examining CCTV footage from nearby areas to identify the vehicle and trace the driver.
Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy expressed sorrow over the mishap, extended condolences to the bereaved families and called for enforcement of traffic safety norms to prevent such tragedies in future.