Andhra Pradesh: 5 charred to death as autorickshaw hits electric pole

Visakhapatnam: Five people were charred to death and six others including, four children, injured when their autorickshaw rammed into an electric pole in Visakhapatnam agency on Sunday, police said.

All the five died of electrocution after the overhead cable snapped and fell on the vehicle under the impact of the collision, they said.

The autorickshaw was proceeding to Chintapalle when the driver lost control of the vehicle and rammed it into a roadside electric pole resulting in snapping of the overhead wire.

While five of them were burnt alive some were thrown out of the autorickshaw, they added. Locals rushed the injured to the nearby primary health care centre, where they were referred to Narsipatnam area hospital.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy expressed anguish over the accident.

In a statement, he conveyed his sympathies to the bereaved families.

Reddy also directed Visakhapatnam District Collector K Bhaskar to grant ex-gratia as per prevailing rules to the kin of the deceased.