ONGOLE: Pre-wedding celebrations turned into a horrific tragedy when a speeding truck rammed into a stationary auto-rickshaw and waiting relatives near Cumbham on the Amaravati-Anantapur National Highway in the early hours of Friday, leaving four persons dead.
The deceased were identified as Avula Ankalu (22), his wife Alakananda alias Anjamma (18), Avula Nagesh (18) and Avula Nagalakshmi (4).
All the victims hailed from Nallabanda Bazaar in Giddalur.
According to the police, the mishap occurred around 1:15 am at the Sri Siddhi Vinayaka Swamy temple junction. The marriage party had travelled from Giddalur with the bride, Avula Veerakka.
Min orders best treatment to injured
The wedding was scheduled for Friday morning. As part of a pre-wedding custom, the marriage party stopped at a temple on the highway for a darshan. While some members alighted from the auto, and went into the temple, the four victims remained inside the auto, with others standing nearby waiting to reboard the vehicle.
A speeding truck laden with coconut husk manure, en route from Madanapalle to Wyra in Telangana, rammed the auto-rickshaw from behind.
Among those waiting, Veeraiah, Sanjeeva Rayudu, and Olamma sustained critical injuries, and were later shifted to a hospital in Ongole for advanced care. The bride, along with four others, escaped with minor injuries.
Cumbham Circle Inspector Mallikarjuna and Sub-Inspector Sivakrishna Reddy rushed to the spot with emergency personnel to oversee rescue operations. Police have registered a case and taken the truck driver into custody.
Transport Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy and Social Welfare Minister Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy expressed profound shock over the incident, conveying their condolences to the bereaved families. The Transport Minister directed medical authorities to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured.