4 killed as minister’s convoy hits auto

Four persons were killed and three others injured when a vehicle in the convoy of Minister of State for Defence Pallam Raju hit an autorickshaw near here this morning,police said.

The mishap took place when Raju was on his way to his Lok Sabha constituency Kakinada from Visakhapatnam Airport,they said. Four persons,including three women,died on the spot as the vehicle hit the autorickshaw coming from opposite direction at Tondaggi village near Kakinada,about 500 kms from state capital Hyderabad.

Three others were injured in the accident,police said adding,the condition of one of them is stated to be serious. The Minister was unhurt. In a similar incident,six persons were killed when the auto-rickshaw in which they were travelling collided with an escort vehicle of ruling Congress chief whip Bhatti Vikramarka in Nalgonda district last month.