AMARAVATI, India, July 14: At least nine people were killed and ten others injured after a truck carrying a heavy load of mangoes overturned in Annamayya district of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday, police said.
The accident occurred near Reddy Cheruvu Katta in Pullampeta mandal, around 60 kilometers from Kadapa city, when the truck veered off the road and overturned, trapping workers sitting atop the mango heap underneath the cargo.
Among the deceased were five women, officials confirmed. Police said the injured were rushed to the government hospital in Rajampet and are currently undergoing treatment.
According to the truck driver, he lost control of the vehicle while trying to avoid an oncoming car, causing the truck to overturn. The driver survived the crash.
Eyewitnesses and local residents told authorities that the truck was carrying an estimated 30 to 40 tonnes of mangoes. When it flipped, several workers who had been seated on the fruit cargo were crushed under its weight.
Rescue operations were carried out using heavy machinery, including JCB earthmovers, police added. Eight people died on the spot, while one more succumbed to injuries later at the hospital. Andhra Pradesh Transport Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy expressed condolences and assured full support to the families of the victims. An investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing.