Seven people were killed and eight others, including four children, were injured after a private bus collided with an auto-rickshaw in Andhra Pradesh’s Palnadu district on Thursday, police said. The accident occurred near Adda Road in Chilakaluripet mandal, triggering an emergency response as rescue teams and local authorities rushed to assist the victims.

According to preliminary information, the private bus was travelling from Vijayawada towards Tirupati when it crashed into an auto-rickshaw carrying 15 passengers. The force of the collision left several passengers critically injured and resulted in multiple deaths.

The incident has once again raised concerns over road safety and the risks faced by passengers travelling in heavily occupied local transport vehicles, particularly on busy routes connecting towns and villages across Andhra Pradesh.

Four victims died at the accident site

Police said four passengers died at the scene of the collision. Two other victims were later declared dead while undergoing treatment at the Government General Hospital in Guntur, while another injured passenger succumbed to their injuries at the government hospital in Chilakaluripet.

The deceased were identified as Bontha Babu, 62, Bontha Manemma, 55, Sampurnamma, 70, Lakshmamma, 75, Gangamma, 50, Chautapalli Suvartha, 45, and Mariyamma, 45.

All seven victims were residents of Veluru village in Chilakaluripet mandal, according to police.

The deaths have left the local community mourning, with several of the victims belonging to the same village and travelling together at the time of the crash.

Victims were returning from birthday celebration

Police said the group had travelled to Kondamanjuluru in a neighbouring district to attend a birthday celebration. They were on their way back to Veluru when the accident occurred near Adda Road.

The circumstances surrounding the collision are being examined by authorities. The available information indicates that the private bus was travelling on the Vijayawada-Tirupati route when it struck the auto-rickshaw carrying the group.

Investigators are expected to establish the precise sequence of events leading up to the crash, including the movement of both vehicles and the factors that may have contributed to the collision.

Eight injured, including four children

Eight people survived the crash but sustained injuries and were taken to hospital for treatment. Police said the injured included four children.

The injured passengers were shifted to the Government General Hospital in Guntur, where they were receiving medical attention. Doctors were closely monitoring their condition, officials said.

The involvement of four children among those injured has added to the concern surrounding the accident. Authorities and medical teams were working to ensure that the injured received timely emergency care following the collision.

Chief minister expresses condolences

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the accident.

The Chief Minister was informed that the deceased passengers were residents of Veluru village and that those injured had been moved to the Government General Hospital in Guntur for treatment.

Naidu expressed concern over the condition of the injured and directed officials to ensure that they received the best possible medical care.

The administration is continuing to monitor the treatment of the injured passengers as authorities assess the circumstances surrounding the fatal collision.

Accident highlights continuing road safety concerns

The Palnadu accident underscores the serious consequences of road crashes involving buses and smaller passenger vehicles. When a heavily occupied auto-rickshaw is involved in a high-impact collision with a larger vehicle, passengers can face severe risks because of the limited protection offered by the smaller vehicle.

The incident also highlights the importance of strict compliance with traffic regulations, safe driving practices and effective enforcement on busy inter-district routes. Determining the exact cause of the crash will be important for understanding whether factors such as driver error, road conditions, vehicle speed or other circumstances played a role.

For the families of the seven victims, however, the immediate priority remains mourning their loss, while the injured passengers continue to receive medical treatment.

Authorities are expected to continue their inquiry into the accident and establish the circumstances that led to the collision near Adda Road in Chilakaluripet mandal.