RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM/VISAKHAPATNAM/NELLORE: The festive spirit of Ganesh idol immersion processions turned to grief on Sunday night as six people lost their lives, and several others were injured in three separate incidents in Andhra Pradesh.
The tragic incidents during idol immersion, which took place in Narasapuram, Paderu and Kavali, have left communities reeling, and families devastated. In Turpu Talla village of Mogalturu mandal in West Godavari district, a tractor carrying Ganesh idols lost control, and ploughed into in the procession around 9 pm.
Four persons — Eevana Suryanarayana (58), Guruju Murali (38), Tirumala Narasimha Murthy (35), and Kadiyam Dinesh (9) — died on the spot in the incident. Another villager was critically injured, and rushed to Narasapuram government hospital.
Naidu expresses grief over tragic incidents
West Godavari District Collector Chadalavada Nagarani, visibly shaken, visited the hospital, and directed authorities to provide the best medical care to the injured. Mogalturu police have registered a case.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep shock over the mishaps during the Ganesh idol immersion processions.
He ordered better medical care for the injured, and strict action against those responsible for negligence. Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan also expressed grief over the three tragic incidents.
Earlier, at Paderu’s Chintalaveedhi Junction of Alluri Sitarama Raju district, a speeding Scorpio SUV crashed into a crowd during the idol immersion procession. Sitaram, a local, was killed, and three others sustained critical injuries. Police swiftly transported the victims to a nearby hospital, and have begun probing the incident, which has left the tight-knit community in mourning.
In Kavali Rural mandal, Puli Lakshmi (16) from Vaikuntapuram drowned in a tank during the Ganesh idol immersion.
The young girl’s untimely death has cast a shadow over the coastal town.