Rajamundry (Andhra Pradesh): Twenty two people, including 9 women and 7 children, were killed when a cruiser van fell into the river Godavari near Rajahmundry, East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh. The victims, all relatives, were returning to their native village in Visakhapatnam district after offering prayers at Lord Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirumala and Goddess Sri Kanakadurga in Vijayawada when the mishap occurred.
According to police, the driver lost control over the wheel due to over speeding. The vehicle hit the road divider and fell into the river from the bridge. Twenty one people died on the spot while a girl, who was rescued and shifted to Rajahmundry hospital, died a few hours later. Lone survivor, Kiran, 13, is undergoing treatment in hospital. His condition is said to be critical. There were 23 people in the vehicle when it met with the accident. Scores of villagers rushed to the spot to take up rescue operation, but the occupants had died by then.
The heavy impact of the fall left the vehicle mangled into a single piece of metal. The police and rescue teams had to use a crane to lift the vehicle and cut open the doors to retrieve the bodies. Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and leader of opposition YS Jaganmohan Reddy expressed shock over the mishap and conveyed condolences to the members of the grief-stricken families.
