Amaravati, Jul 14: Nine labourers were killed and 10 others injured when a truck laden with mangoes overturned in Andhra Pradesh’s Annamayya district.

The accident occurred on Sunday night at Reddy Cheruvu Katta in Pullampeta mandal, about 60 km from Kadapa town.

According to police, the labourers who were sitting on top of the mango load were crushed under it when the truck overturned on a lake bund.

The dead include five women. The injured were admitted to a government hospital at Rajampet.

The truck driver, who survived the mishap, told police that he lost control while trying to avoid hitting a car coming from the opposite direction.

A group of 21 daily-wage labourers from Railay Koduru mandal of Annamayya district and Venkatagiri mandal of Tirupati district had gone to pluck mangoes from the farms in Esukapalli and surrounding villages in Rajampeta mandal. With the mango load, the truck was heading to the Railway Koduru market, and the labourers were sitting on top of the mango load.

The workers were crushed under 30-40 tonnes of mangoes. Police rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation with the help of a JCB.

Eight labourers died on the spot. They have been identified as Gajjala Durgaiah (32), Gajjala Lakshmi Devi (36), Gajjala Ramana (42), Gajjala Srinu (32), Radha (39), Venkata Subbamma (37), Chittemma (25) and Subba Ratnamma (45). Another labourer, Munichandra (38), succumbed at a hospital in Rajampet.

Ten labourers were injured and they were admitted to a hospital at Rajampet. Some of them were shifted to RIMS at Kadapa for better treatment.

Transport Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy said he was saddened to learn about the accident claiming the lives of labourers. He conveyed his condolences to the families of the deceased.

The minister directed officials to provide the best possible treatment to the injured.

He also spoke to officials about the cause of the accident and asked them to take necessary steps to ensure that such accidents do not recur.

District in-charge Minister B.C. Janardhan Reddy also expressed shock over the accident. He said the government would extend all possible help to the families of the victims.

Former Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has also expressed grief over the death of nine labourers in the accident. He conveyed his condolences to the families of the deceased.

He urged the government to provide the best possible treatment to the injured and help the families of the deceased.

(IANS)

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