14 Andhra pilgrims on way to Ajmer Sharif Dargah killed in bus-lorry collision

Naveen S Garewal  
Tribune News Service  
Hyderabad, February 14  

Fourteen people died in a collision between a bus and a truck in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district on Sunday morning. Four injured have been admitted to hospital.  

The accident took place near Madarpur village in Kurnool district’s Veldurti Mandal at 4 am when a group of people hailing from Chittoor district of the state were travelling in the minibus towards Hyderabad. They were reportedly going for a pilgrimage to Ajmer in Rajasthan.

Kurnool Superintendent of Police K. Fakirappa said “the minibus was carrying 18 people, who were on their way to Ajmer in Rajasthan for pilgrimage. Four children survived the accident with injuries but the condition of two of them is stated to be critical”. 

Police said that it appeared that the driver of the minibus either fell asleep or lost control due to driving at high-speed making the vehicle crash against the road median.  

The injured children were shifted to a hospital in Kurnool. Police gathered details of the victims from Aadhaar cards and other documents found in the vehicle. They belonged to three families from Madanapalle in Chittoor district and were on their way to Ajmer Dargah. 

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has expressed shock over the accident and has instructed officials to expedite relief work and medical help. Reddy conveyed his condolences to the family members of those who have died and wished the injured a speedy recovery.  

A statement from the chief minister’s office read, “The Chief Minister instructed the concerned officials to expedite relief and medical help and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family members and wished speedy recovery of the injured”.  

On Friday night eight people were killed in the Araku hills after a bus carrying tourists from Hyderabad fell into a gorge after the driver lost control. The bus that was carrying 30 passengers fell at Anantagiri near Araku in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh.  

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