Truck mows down 15 in Chittoor dist

​Yerpedu (Chittoor dist): At least 15 persons lost their lives in a worst-ever road accident in their campaign to save the Swarnamukhi river and their farm fields from the sand mafia. A truck laden with stone powder ran over them.

A group of around 40 people from the nearby Munagala village came to the police station to petition the visiting Tirupati Urban SP R Jayalakshmi on the sand mining issue. Some went inside the police station and the rest of the group stayed outside.

Those inside the police station saved their lives. The folks from the village on the banks of the Swarna Mukhi river initially went to the Mandal Revenue Officer in the town to complain about the indiscriminate sand mining illegally in the river bed leading to disturbance of aquifers.

It all led to depleting groundwater and let farm fields suffer for want of water, it is complained. The scene looked gruesome with bodies lying in a pool of blood, limbs strewn here and there and screams of people battling for life.

According to eyewitness accounts, the truck coming from Hyderabad to Chennai suddenly drifted off the Chennai- Kolkata national highway and ran over the people and roadside shops before it came to a screeching halt with a thudding noise after hitting an electric poll.

The situation turned more terrific when the live wires got snapped and fell over the people who ran for life. Several people suffered burns due to electric shock and twowheelers parked in front of the shopping complex were burnt.

While 13 people were killed on the spot, two more succumbed to wounds before they were rushed to SV Ruia Hospital in Tirupati. It all happened in just 15 minutes. It may be recalled that the villagers of Munagala has been launching a sustained save Swarnamukhi river for quite some time.

The protesters blocked the highway and locked up the Tahasildar office in the past, resenting the alleged official- sand mafia nexus. Three local reporters also sustained severe injuries while covering the protest launched by the campaigners, besides a couple of police officials in the melee that followed the mishap.

Tirupati Urban SP R Jayalakshmi, who was about to reach her office, immediately rushed back to oversee rescue operations along with Tirupati Subcollector Nishant Kumar. She said lorry driver Guravaiah from Naidupeta was taken into custody and was found in an inebriated condition.

District Collector PS Pradyumna who assumed charge today itself extended Rs 5 lakh to the next of the deceased. He stayed put at the hospital to ensure proper healthcare for the injured. According to hospital sources, 15 more have been under treatment with critical wounds.

By: K NETHAJI