Visakhapatnam: 7 children injured as auto rams into lorry

Visakhapatnam: Two auto-rickshaws plying schoolchildren to schools met with an accident in different locations here on Wednesday. While seven children and the auto-rickshaw driver sustained injuries in one accident at Dondaparthi near Sangam Sarat theatre junction, eight children narrowly escaped with minor injuries in another accident at Madhurawada.

However, the condition of a girl who was injured in the accident near Sangam Sarat theatre junction is said to be serious as she sustained severe head injuries. Three other children got discharged the same day from the hospital after getting treated.

All of the seven students studying from Classes I to X were going to school when the incident happened. The injured students were identified as Vani Jayaramya, Hasini, G Gayathri and her sister Lakshya, Charvick, Keyush and Bhavesh.

After examining the CCTV footage, the police suspected that the reason behind the accident is said to be over-speeding and negligence of the autorickshaw driver, who is identified as Raju. He was speeding towards the four-road junction when the auto-rickshaw hit the lorry which was approaching the RTC complex.

The lorry came to a halt after proceeding a few metres away. Due to the impact of the collision, the children flew off the vehicle and fell on the road. They were bleeding when the passersby came to the rescue of them.

In a humanitarian gesture, a hotel manager R Venkat Rao, who was passing by then in a four-wheeler, shifted some of the schoolchildren to the hospital in his car. Similarly, a passenger, who was travelling in a RTC bus, came to the rescue of children and assisted them in reaching the hospital.

After visiting the hospital and finding out the condition of the students, YSRCP regional coordinator Y V Subba Reddy said that the state government would ensure quality treatment to the victims and bear the expenses.

“Also, the monitoring will be intensified on auto-rickshaws so that such accidents would not be repeated. Meetings would be held in schools to increase road safety awareness,” he said.

Along with IT minister Gudivada Amarnath and other ruling party leaders, Opposition party

leaders also visited the hospitals to examine the condition of the students.

In another accident at Madhurawada, a pig came in the way of an auto-rickshaw which was carrying school students. After hitting a pig, the vehicle overturned.

Fortunately, eight students who were present in the auto sustained minor injuries.

All of them were said to be out of danger.