Two persons crushed to death by ash tanker in Kothagudem

Two persons were crushed to death by an ash tanker at railway under bridge in Kothagudem during late night hours on Wednesday

Kothagudem: Two persons were crushed to death by an ash tanker at railway under bridge in Kothagudem during late night hours on Wednesday.

The deceased, Edulapuram Srinivas (50) of Ramnagar in Chunchupally mandal and Rani (45) of Mathura Basthi were travelling on a motorbike when the incident took place. The ash tanker skid and fell on the bike killing the duo on the spot.

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The incident caused a huge traffic jam on the road. A local P Reshwanth informed the police and SCCL rescue team, who rushed to the spot to clear the traffic. The rescue team had to work until early hours of Thursday to retrieve the dead bodies trapped under the tanker.

The under bridge has become a hot spot for accidents in which scores of persons have lost their lives. Due to lack of a by-pass road in the town heavy vehicles carrying goods to ITC, Nava Bharat and others enter the town after 10 pm posing danger to the lives of the people.

Drivers park their vehicles at St. Mary’s School, SCCL High School, Yellandu cross roads and enter the town at 10 pm at once causing huge traffic jams as it was the time business establishments closed and workers return home, the locals said.

A resident A Deepak Kumar alleged that the under bridge which was constructed in 2003 has turned a bane for Kothagudem residents. When it rains there would be huge water logging and the bridge with a curve lacks road banking to provide required centripetal force to the vehicles to take a safe turn.

Originally the government proposed to construct a flyover in place of a railway level crossing near Kothagudem railway station. But the then Kothagudem legislator and the contractor colluded and changed the proposal to build the under bridge.

It was done to save the property of a hotel on one side of the road undermining the interests of the residents in the town, Kumar complained while demanding the authorities to take measures to prevent accidents at under bridge.