15 killed as truck runs into crowd in Chittoor
The driver hit an electric pole before crushing protesters who had gathered to demand action against illegal mining
At least 15 people were killed and about 16 injured on Friday when a truck driver lost control and hit an electric pole before ploughing the vehicle into a group of protesters, cars and shops at Yerpedu, about 25 km away from Tirupati in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.
Renigunta deputy superintendent of police K S Nanjndappa said six people were crushed under the wheels of the truck, while the rest died of electric shock with high tension wires falling on them and fire in the shops. Following the accident, traffic movement on various routes was affected.
The incident happened at around 1:45pm, when a large number of people had gathered in front of the Yerpedu police station located on the Putalapattunayudupeta state highway to stage a dharna to demand action against illegal sand mining in the area.
Police said the truck with heavy load which was travelling at a high speed, lost control and hit an electric pole before crushing several people under its wheels. The truck came to a halt after destroying several vehicles and roadside shops, which were gutted in a fire that broke out in one of the shops due to impact of the accident.
A local reporter of a regional newspaper who was at the police station lost his legs in the accident. The driver and the cleaner absconded after the accident.
Some of the injured were shifted to Ruia hospital in Tirupati, while few others were moved to hospitals in Chennai and Vellore. The condition of 10 of the injured is said to be critical.
The Andhra Pradesh government announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹5 lakh to the families of the deceased. Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed shock and grief at the loss of lives in the accident in Yerpedu. He directed the district Collector to personally supervise the relief operations.
In signs of thaw on AIADMK merger move, the chief minister K Palaniswami-led faction on Friday announced formation of a committee and rival O Panneerselvam side reciprocated saying its panel would be named soon. Rajya Sabha MP R Vaithilingam will head the panel set up by Palaniswami and it is likely to include some ministers.
“Considering the welfare of party supporters and people, we are also going to form a committee,” Panneerselvam’s aide KP Munusamy told reporters.
The developments came a day after the talks appeared to have hit a roadblock with the Panneerselvam camp seeking formal expulsion of VK Sasikala and T TV Dhinakaran from the party.
It had also sought a CBI probe into the circumstances leading to former chief minister Jayalalithaa’s death on December 5 last year. Hardening its stance for talks, the OPS camp had also demanded that 30 members of the Sasiskala family be formally expelled from the party.
Meanwhile, former school education minister K Pandiarajan of OPS faction confirmed that the Palaniswami group had contacted them for talks.