Naspur road accident: Death toll rises to four in Mancherial

Four women were killed and three others critically injured after a lorry collided with an auto-rickshaw in Naspur, Mancherial, on Monday. The victims were employees of a shopping mall and were reportedly travelling to work when the accident occurred

Mancherial: In a ghastly road accident, four women were killed, while five others sustained injuries after a truck rammed into an auto-rickshaw in which they were travelling at Naspur on the outskirts of Mancherial on Monday.

Police said the deceased women were identified as Aggu Soundarya (38), Chintakuntla Laxmi (38) and Thogari Sumalatha (25), all from Gudipalli-Venkatapur in Mandamarri mandal, and Thatipelli Soniya (20) of Dharmaraopet village in Kasipet mandal. They were employees of a shopping mall in Mancherial town.

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Soundarya and Laxmi were killed instantly, while Sumalatha and Soniya later died during treatment at a hospital in Mancherial. The injured were identified as auto-rickshaw driver Shegyam Prashant, Salluri Anusha, Ramtenki Divyavani and Naramalla Laxmi. The medical condition of three of the injured was stated to be critical.

The victims were on their way to work when the mishap occurred. Negligence on the part of the three-wheeler driver was suspected to have caused the accident. The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle and suddenly attempted a U-turn after a two-wheeler entered the road at a junction. A lorry coming from the opposite direction collided with the auto-rickshaw, leading to the fatal crash, eyewitnesses said.

Meanwhile, Ramagundam CP Amber Kishore Jha inspected the scene of the mishap and reviewed the circumstances. He instructed the police to take steps to prevent road accidents in Naspur in future by correcting the dividers and redesigning the stretch, besides installing appropriate signage. Action would be taken against those responsible, he said.

Labour Minister G Venkata Swamy announced immediate financial assistance of Rs 25,000 for the families of the deceased and Rs 10,000 for those injured in the mishap.