16 labourers die in Andhra road mishap

Suresh Dharur

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, September 14

In a major road accident in Andhra Pradesh, 16 agricultural labourers died on the spot and a dozen others were injured when a lorry they were travelling in overturned in East Godavari district today.

The mishap occurred in the early hours near Gandepalli, about 33 km from the coastal Andhra town of Rajahmundry, when the driver of the fly ash-laden lorry lost control, resulting in the vehicle turning turtle.

All the victims were daily wage agricultural labourers and were returning home when the tragedy struck. The lorry was proceeding to Visakhapatnam in north coastal Andhra Pradesh from Vijayawada. The lorry driver, who had illegally allowed about 35 laborers to sit atop the pile of fly ash near the Eluru by-pass road to make a quick buck, is believed to have been sleepy, East Godavari Superintendent of Police S Ravi Prakash said.

The victims had gone in search of jobs to Chintalapudi Mandal in neighboring West Godavari District about 20 days ago from five to six villages of Thondangi, Prattipadu and Sankhavaram Mandals, which are upland areas of East Godavari district.

The mishap, according to sources, occurred when the sleepy lorry driver while trying to avoid hitting a tree, applied brakes suddenly resulting in the vehicle turning turtle. All the labourers, who were in deep sleep on the heavy pile of fly ash, were trapped under the lorry and the material when the heavy vehicle overturned. Some of them who were probably on the periphery managed to escape from the fly ash pile with the help of locals who rushed to the accident spot, police said, adding that four other persons travelling by the same lorry were missing.

The driver and the cleaner of the lorry managed to escape unhurt, district police officers, who rushed to the spot, said. The injured were shifted to the Rajahmundry Government Hospital and their condition was stated to be stable.

Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Y Ramakrishnudu, who also rushed to the spot around 6 am, announced an ex-gratia of Rs two lakh to the families of the victims. Deputy Chief Minister N Chinna Rajappa, Information and Public Relations Minister P Raghunatha Reddy rushed to the hospital and inquired about the condition of the injured.

The Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed grief and condoled the death of agricultural laborers and directed the district administration to provide the best possible medical care to the injured laborers.

Meanwhile, the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) slammed the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government for not ensuring adequate Highway patrol in the area. Demanding an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the families of the deceased, YSRCP leaders said that the local policemen had taken bribe from the driver and allowed the transport of the labourers illegally.