Pallam’s convoy kills five

Five persons died and over 10 suffered injuries when the escort vehicle of the minister of state for defence, Mr. M.M. Pallam Raju, hit an autorickshaw at Chodipallepeta in Kakinada region of East Godavari district on Thursday morning.

Police admitted the injured persons to nearby hospitals at Kakinada and Tuni. The condition of two of the injured is said to be critical.

There were seven women passengers in the autorickshaw. Five of them boarded it at Konapapapeta to go Yellayyapeta of Tondangi mandal and two others joined in at Chodipallipeta village.

As the autorickshaw was moving towards Yellayyapeta on the beach road at around 11.30 am, the minister’s convoy came from the opposite direction and an escort vehicle hit it.

Three passengers of the autorickshaw died on spot, another died on the way to a hospital, and two others were admitted to the government general hospital here. Those sitting in the escort vehicle were also injured in the mishap and were rushed to nearby hospital at Tuni in the district. The minister was unhurt, and the driver of the autorickshaw is absconding.

The dead were identified as Ms T. Vijayalakshmi, 30, Ms S. Satyavathi, 56, Ms T. Nallamma, 35, and Ms T. Poleramma, 37, of Konapapapeta of U. Kottapalli mandal, and A. Ratnam, 70, of Chodipallepeta.

After hearing about the incident, hundreds villagers rushed to the spot and blocked the minister and his convoy for more than two hours, demanding exgratia.The Tondangi police has registered a case under Section 304 (A) for causing death by negligence.