Eight pilgrims lost their lives, and twelve others sustained injuries in a tragic road accident on National Highway 167 in Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh.
The collision occurred near the Dharmapur toll plaza, close to the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border, early Thursday morning.
Police reported that a pick-up truck carrying 21 devotees to Sri Raghavendra Swamy Matha in Mantralayam village collided head-on with a tanker coming from the opposite direction. The impact killed five women, two men, and a three-year-old girl instantly. The victims were identified as pilgrims from Karnataka.
Rescue teams rushed to the site and shifted the injured to nearby hospitals. Seven of them were later moved to Kurnool for advanced treatment, while four others continue receiving care locally. One person remains in stable condition.
Yemmiganur Sub-Division DSP Bhargavi confirmed that further details will emerge after the investigation. She stated that the tanker was travelling from Bidar toward Tumakuru, while the pilgrims’ vehicle was en route to Mantralayam.
Police registered a case and began investigating the cause of the accident. The bodies of the deceased were sent to a government hospital for post-mortem examination.
