RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Seven people died in a road mishap at Thatikonda Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy temple in Gokavaram mandal of East Godavari district in the small hours of Friday after a van, in whch they were travelling, overturned.
A marriage party of 17 people was returning home after a wedding at the temple, when the accident happened. After the marriage party boarded the vehicle, the driver lost control, as the brakes of the vehicle failed and as a result, it tumbled down the stairs leading to the hill shrine.
Five people died on the spot while two others died undergoing treatment. Ten others are still under treatment at hospitals in Rajamahendravaram and Kakinada. The deceased were identified as Kambala Bhanu, Simhadri Prasad, Yella Lakshmi, Yella Divya Sri Lakshmi, Chaganti Mohini, Pachakuri Narasimha and S Gopalakrishna.
According to Rajamahendravaram police, a youth from Takurpalem in Gokavaram got married to a woman from Velugubanda in Rajanagaram mandal of East Godavari district at Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy temple in Thantikonda.
After the bride and bridegroom left the temple after the wedding in a separate vehicle, other family members and relatives boarded a van and it fell down the stairs from a height of 20 feet. Police registered a case and the investigation is on.
Meanwhile, Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan expressed profound grief and sadness at the accident at Thantikonda and instructed the district administration to provide necessary immediate medical treatment to the injured persons. He offered his heartfelt condolences to members of the bereaved families.
Deputy Chief Minister (Health) Alla Nani expressing shock over the accident directed the officials to extend the best medical treatment to the injured and condoled the deaths of seven people. TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, BJP state chief Sommu Veeraraju also expressed grief over the seven people losing lives in the ghastly road mishap.