Four members of a family were killed and six others injured after the multi-utility vehicle (MUV) they were traveling in collided with a stationary truck in Andhra Pradesh’s Palnadu district in the early hours of Friday, police said.
The accident occurred at around 3.30 am on the Macherla-Fildworthy highway near Macherla town. The deceased have been identified as Qadri Venkateshwarlu, Qadri Sharada, Bidugu Satyanarayana, and Bidgu Sharada. Police said their exact ages have not yet been confirmed.
“There were 13 people in the car, including the driver. They were all from Hyderabad and were on their way to Bamuru town in Markkapuram district to attend the final burial rites of their relative who passed away on Friday,” P Krishna Rao, police inspector of Palnadu district, told reporters.
According to preliminary investigations, the four-wheel drive car, which was traveling at high speed, collided with a truck parked on the side of the road after its tire exploded.
Another police official from Macherla police station said: “The truck driver turned on his parking lights, placed sticks and left them behind as warning indicators, before leaving for the city to find a mechanic.”
The impact of the collision caused the MUV to completely burn, and the bodies of the deceased were trapped inside the vehicle.
“Three passengers managed to escape with minor injuries, but six others were seriously injured and were taken to the government hospital in Macherla for treatment,” the police official said.
The Macherla police have registered a case under Sections 106 (1) (death due to negligence) and 125 (A) (endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
“The investigation is ongoing,” the official added.
