Warangal accident: Toll rises to six

The victims from Warangal were on their way to collect honey in the forest area when the accident occurred.

Warangal: Six persons were killed and one injured in a road accident near Yellanda village of Wardhannapet Mandal in the district on Wednesday. The victims from Warangal were on their way to collect honey in the forest area and sell it when the accident occurred. They were heading towards Thorrur from Warangal City when a speeding lorry rammed the autorickshaw in which they were travelling, resulting in the death of four people, including the auto driver, on the spot. Two others succumbed to injuries at a local hospital.

The deceased were Bhattu Srinivas (42), auto driver from Siva Nagar in Warangal, Kurairi Suresh (50), Jabavath Kurairi (25), Amit Mandal (20), Nitish Kumar Mandal, (20), Roopchand Dhami (35). The injured Amit Kumar is undergoing at a private hospital in Hanamkonda. His condition is said to be critical.

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According to Bhattu Kishan, the elder brother of the auto driver, who lodged a complaint with the Wardhannapet police, the passengers in his brother’s auto were natives of Rajasthan staying at the Labour colony in Warangal. “They were engaged in honey collection and selling. They were on their way to Thorrur when a lorry coming from Thorrur rammed the auto,” he said quoting eyewitnesses. He said the lorry driver had come in the wrong route and hit his brother’s auto.

The lorry driver was identified as Mohanlal Naik (40) from Nayagaon village of Neemuch district in Madhya Pradesh. The bodies were shifted to MGM hospital in Warangal for autopsy. Police Commissioner AV Ranganath visited the spot, enquired with the local police about the accident details, and directed them to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. The Wardhannapet police have registered a case and are probing the case. It is learnt that they had already taken the lorry driver and two cleaners into custody.