Four Bhavani deeksha devotees were killed after a speeding Scorpio hit them near Kathipudi in Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada district while they were travelling to Vijayawada, police said. The accident occurred after their private travel bus developed a technical problem and stopped by the roadside.
The devotees were part of a group of around 40 people from Denkada in Vizianagaram district. They were travelling to Vijayawada to seek the blessings of the goddess when the bus reached Kathipudi, in the Prathipadu Assembly constituency.
According to the report, the bus driver parked the vehicle safely on the roadside after the technical problem emerged. Several devotees got down while repairs were being carried out. Some of them crossed the road to reach a nearby shop for tea.
A speeding Scorpio then rammed into the devotees who were crossing the road. Three people suffered severe injuries and died at the scene because of the impact, while another critically injured devotee was taken towards a nearby hospital by local residents. He died on the way after his condition deteriorated.
The deceased were identified as Chirigidi Erraiah, 38, Lingala Seetharam, 45, Bonela Sattibabu, 40, and Tatipudi Sivaprasad, 40. The victims were members of the travelling group from Denkada, the report said.
Kakinada Deputy Superintendent of Police Tilak inspected the accident site after the incident. Police registered a case and began an investigation into the circumstances of the crash, including the movement of the Scorpio and the events leading up to the collision.
The accident highlights the risks faced by passengers forced to stop on highways or cross roads when vehicles break down during intercity travel. In this case, the devotees had left the bus after the vehicle developed a technical problem and were near a roadside shop when the collision occurred.
The police investigation is expected to establish how fast the Scorpio was travelling, the precise location of the devotees when they were hit and the circumstances surrounding the bus breakdown. No further details about the driver or the legal sections invoked in the case were available in the report.
