Rajahmundry: Tragedy struck a marriage party in the wee hours of Friday when seven persons, including four women, were killed after the van they were travelling in plunged down the ghat road leading to the temple of Sri Venkateswara Swamy. The accident happened at Thantikonda village in Gokavaram mandal of East Godavari district. The van fell 10 feet down on the pedestrian steps of the temple.
Eight others, who suffered serious injuries, have been admitted to different hospitals in Rajahmundry and Kakinada. The accident happened when the van was coming downhill from the temple after the marriage ceremony at about 2.30 am on Friday. Police suspect the driver may have dozed off or was speeding down the ghat road, leading to the accident.
The deceased belonged to Gokavaram and Thakur Palem villages.
The victims have been identified as Yalla Naga Sreelakshmi (33) of Diwan Cheruvu in Rajanagaram mandal, Kambala Bhanu (33) of Gokavaram, Simhadri Durga Prasad (19) from Thakur Palem village in Gokavaram mandal, Changanti Hema Sri Lalitha (13) of Gadarada village in Korukonda mandal, Yalla Divya Siva Gayathri (13) of Diwan Cheruvu village in Rajanagaram mandal, Pachikuri Narasimha Murthy Dora (25) of Gangampalem village in Gokavaram mandal, and Somarouthu Gopalakrishna (72) from Thallapuram village in Unguturu mandal of West Godavari district.
The marriage ceremony ended at around 2 pm, following which 22 people boarded the ill-fated van. The van fell on the pathway for foot pilgrims adjacent to the ghat road. After falling on the pedestrian route, the vehicle overturned, killing five people on the spot. Two others died while receiving treatment in the hospital.