Amaravati, Oct 22 (IANS) At least four Bhavani devotees were killed when a speeding SUV rammed into them in Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada district on Thursday, police said.
Another devotee was also injured in the accident that occurred near Kathipudi in Prathipadu constituency.
According to police, the accident occurred when the devotees were crossing the road to have tea after the bus in which they were travelling broke down.
The bus, carrying devotees from Vizianagaram district, was on its way to Vijayawada. They were heading to Vijayawada for ‘darshan’ at Sri Kanaka Durga Temple.
As the vehicle had stopped due to some technical problem, a few devotees got down and headed to a nearby tea stall. In the meantime, a speeding vehicle coming from Etcherla in Srikakulam district rammed into the devotees.
Three of them died on the spot, while another devotee was injured. The deceased were identified as C. Yerraiah (38), L. Sitaram (45), T. Shivaprasad (40) and B.R. Sattibabu (40).
Police rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to a local hospital. The bodies of the deceased were taken to a government hospital for post-mortem examination.
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has expressed grief over the accident in which four Bhavani devotees lost their lives.
He stated that it is heartbreaking that devotees who had completed their vow and were on their way to have darshan of Kanaka Durga lost their lives midway. He conveyed deep condolences to the families of the deceased.
The Deputy Chief Minister spoke with the Kakinada District Collector over the phone and gathered details about the incident.
The District Collector explained that the accident occurred when a vehicle came speeding from behind, hitting the devotees after they all got down from the bus that had stopped near Ravikampadu Junction and were heading to a nearby hotel.
Pawan Kalyan directed that a full-scale investigation be conducted into the incident and that the injured be provided the best medical treatment. He assured that the coalition government will extend all support to the families of the deceased.
–IANS
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