6 farm laborers from Telangana killed in road accident

Narasaraopet: Six women farm workers were killed and another seven persons were injured in a road mishap. The accident took place when a speeding lorry hit the auto in which they were travelling at Pondugala village of Dachepalli mandal in Palnadu district in the wee hours of Wednesday.

According to Gurazala DSP Pallam Raju, as many as 23 agriculture workers were going in an auto from Narasapuram village of Damacherla mandal in Telangana to Pulipadu village of Gurazala mandal for agriculture works. When the auto reached Pondugala, a speeding lorry coming in the opposite direction hit it. As a result, five women workers were killed on the spot. Another worker died while undergoing treatment in the hospital. After hitting the auto, the lorry driver did not stop the vehicle and drove towards Telangana.

The deceased were identified as Islavati Manjula (25), Bhukya Padma (27), Padiya Sakri (35), Bhukya Soni (50) and Malavat Kavita (30). Banavat Parvati (30) died while undergoing treatment in the hospital. Another seven persons travelling in the auto were injured and they were shifted to a private hospital in Miryalaguda for treatment.

Police registered a case and took up investigation.

DSP Pallam Raju said that six women workers lost their lives due to the rash driving of the lorry driver.

Palnadu Superintendent of Police Ravishankar Reddy rushed to the GGH in Gurazala and consoled the family members of the deceased. He instructed the officials to take steps to conduct postmortem as early as possible. Ends Earlier, the police officials explained the details of the road accident to the SP.

SP Ravishankar Reddy directed the police officials to take stern action against the accused responsible for the accident and deliver justice to the victims. He instructed the officials to take steps not to recur such accidents in future and set up warning boards at the spots where accidents are likely to occur on the highway with the cooperation of the departments concerned. The officials were further instructed to step up highway patrolling to check road accidents.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao expressed shock over the death of six women agriculture workers in the accident at Pondugala and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family members. He announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia to the kin of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh to the injured.

Miryalaguda MLA Gummadi Bhaskara Rao, Gurazala MLA Kasu Mahesh Reddy, former Minister K Jana Reddy and Nalgonda DCC president Sankar Naik visited the GGH in Gurazala. They consoled the kin of the deceased and conveyed their condolence to bereaved family members.

MLA Bhaskara Rao extended financial assistance of Rs 10,000 each to the families of the deceased.

Later speaking to the media, former Minister Jana Reddy urged the AP government to announce ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased. He spoke to the Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana and Chief Secretary KS Jawahar Reddy over phone and stressed on the need to announce ex-gratia. He urged Telangana CM KCR to take steps to render better medical services to the injured.

MLA Kasu Mahesh Reddy assured that he will persuade the AP government to announce ex-gratia to the kin of the deceased as requested by Jana Reddy.