Guntur: Andhra Pradesh ministers expressed shock over the Ayyappa devotees accident that killed five engineering students from Guntur on Thursday evening and offered condolences to their families.
Police said the students from Vignan College had taken the Ayyappa mala and were travelling from Guntur to Ongole when their speeding car hit a container lorry from behind on the Guntur–Ongole highway near the Ganapavaram bypass. Four students died on the spot, while one died while being shifted to Chilakaluripet hospital. Two others suffered severe injuries and remain in critical condition.
The deceased were identified as Srikanth, Vasu, Ramireddy and Mahesh. Locals alerted police soon after the crash, and officers moved the injured to a nearby hospital. Doctors said both survivors remain in a fragile condition.
Probe continues into Ayyappa devotees accident
Investigators collected witness statements and examined the crash site to determine how the collision occurred. Police shifted the bodies for post-mortem and informed the families. A case was registered, and the inquiry is ongoing.
Ministers Gorttipati Ravi Kumar and Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy said the loss of young lives was deeply distressing and conveyed their sympathies to the bereaved families.
