Amaravati, Sep 11
Seven people were killed when a mini-truck they were travelling in overturned in Andhra Pradesh’s East Godavari district on Wednesday, police said.
Two others were injured in the accident that occurred in the Chilakavari Pakala area of Chinnaigudem on the highway connecting East and West Godavari districts.
The mini-truck, laden with cashew nuts, was on its way from Borrampalem of Eluru district to Tadimalla in East Godavari district. Police said the accident occurred when the driver lost control. The vehicle veered off the road and overturned in the adjoining agricultural field.
Nine labourers, who were travelling on the mini-truck, got trapped under the sacks of cashew nuts. While seven of them died on the spot, the police rescued two others and shifted them to a nearby hospital.
The police with the help of locals pulled out the bodies from beneath the sacks and shifted them to Kovvuru Government Hospital for autopsy.
According to police, the driver fled the scene after the accident. A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway.