Hyderabad: Four Spanish nationals and their driver were killed in a road accident in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday morning. Seven other Spaniards were injured and they were shifted to Bengaluru for treatment.
Police said the accident occurred at Edigipally village 10km from Madanapalle town under Pungnoor police station limits, 566km away from Hyderabad, when a big container hit a mini bus coming from the opposite direction. The Swaraj Mazda bus was completely shattered under the impact of the collision.
“The accident occurred at a turning point 13km away from Madanapalle”, said Punganoor police station Sub inspector Hariprasad
“Four of the deceased were foreigners and the fifth was a local driver”, said Mohammed Dastagir, Sub inspector of Madanapalle.
12 people and a driver were travelling in the mini bus.
A group of rural development activists from Spain were going from Anantapur district to Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu when the accident took place at 9.30am.
The Spanish nationals were working with the Rural Development Trust at Bathalapally village in Anantapur district as volunteers.
The RDT was set up by Spanish activist Father Vincente Ferrer in 1969.
The police officials from Madanapalle and Punganoor stations had shifted the bodies to a government hospital mortuary and efforts were being made to ascertain the identities of the victims.
Meanwhile Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed his shock over the incident and spoke to the local officials. He directed them to contact the Spanish embassy in New Delhi and decide on the next course of action regarding the dead bodies.
