Chilakaluripet Road Tragedy: Seven Killed, Six Injured in Bus-Auto Collision

A devastating road accident in Andhra Pradesh’s Palnadu district claimed the lives of seven people and left six others injured after a private bus collided with an auto-rickshaw near Kalamandir Junction in Chilakaluripet in the early hours of Thursday.

According to Narasaraopet DSP M. Hanumantha Rao, the private bus, which was headed towards Tirupati, had stopped near the Chilakaluripet bypass to pick up a passenger at around 1 am. After the passenger boarded, the bus was proceeding towards the Narasaraopet bus stand when the collision occurred.

Police said preliminary information indicated that the auto-rickshaw had entered the route from the wrong direction, leading to the accident. The bus was reportedly travelling at around 40 kmph at the time. Four victims died at the accident site, while three others later succumbed to their injuries in hospital. Six people were injured and are undergoing treatment.

Police have registered a case related to rash and negligent driving and launched an investigation to establish the exact circumstances that led to the crash.

Officials informed Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu that all seven victims who lost their lives were residents of Veluru village in Chilakaluripet mandal, adding to the grief surrounding the tragedy. Those with serious injuries were shifted to the Guntur Government Hospital for advanced medical treatment.

YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy also expressed grief, describing it as especially heartbreaking that all the deceased belonged to the same village. He extended his condolences to the bereaved families and called for a comprehensive inquiry into the accident. He also urged authorities to strengthen road safety measures to prevent similar incidents.

Former minister Vidadala Rajini visited the Chilakaluripet Government Hospital, where she paid tributes to the deceased and consoled their family members. She urged the government to extend adequate support to the affected families.

Rajini later visited a private hospital and met two injured women and a child receiving treatment. After speaking with doctors about their condition, she requested that they be provided the best available care and wished them a speedy recovery.