KOYYALAGUDEM:In a ghastly road mishap, three persons, including two women, were killed and 17 others suffered injuries when the van they were travelling in, rammed a stationary lorry at Bayyannagudem village in Koyyalagudem mandal of West Godavari district Sunday morning.
The deceased were identified as Gujjuru Lakshmi Devi (70), Matta Sesharatnam (75) and Muggalla Konda (50). Names of 16 of the 17 injured persons were given as Matta Savitri, Saraswathi, V Savitri, B Srinivas, M Rambabu, M Lakshman, M Veerraju, E Dileep, M Kalyani, M V Venkata Rao, M Venkata Narsamma, PVB Rao, MV Rmanamma, E Dhana Lakshmi, Poojitha and Venu.
The Koyylagudem police said that 20 people, all belonging to a family from Tiruvuru and Anjanapuram in Krishna district, were travelling in the van at the time of accident. They were returning home after attending ‘Anna Prasana’ ceremony of a child at Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy Temple in Annavaram when the accident occurred.
Lakshmi Devi, Sesharatham and Konda died instantaneously, while the others suffered injuries. The passersby alerted the police who rushed to the spot and sent the bodies to hospital for autopsy.
The injured were shifted to Jangareddygudem Area Hospital. However, the condition of three people including a child, who sustained serious injuries, is said to be critical and were rushed to Eluru Government Hospital for better treatment. The police registered a case and are investigating.