In a tragic pre-dawn accident, three migrant workers lost their lives and three others were injured when the cargo van they were travelling in crashed into a truck near Hyderabad. The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, highlighting the perilous conditions often faced by labourers during transit.
The Fatal Collision: A Timeline of Events
The accident took place around 2 am on Friday at the Edulagudem Y Junction in Miryalaguda. According to police, the victims were sleeping in the open cargo bay of a DCM van that was loaded with tiles. The van was on its way from Shamshabad in Hyderabad to deliver the consignment to a client in Vinukonda, located in Andhra Pradesh's Palnadu district.
Police stated that a truck carrying ash from the Yadadri thermal power station was heading towards a cement factory in Mellacheruvu. As this truck took a right turn at the junction to proceed towards Kodad, the speeding DCM van, coming from the direction of Narketpalle, slammed into it. The impact was severe, causing the stacked tiles inside the van to lurch forward violently.
Victims Crushed by Shifting Cargo
The force of the collision proved fatal for the sleeping workers. Circle Inspector N Nagabhushan Rao from Miryalaguda 1 town explained that the workers were crushed between the sliding tiles and the driver's cabin. Three of the six occupants died instantly at the scene.
The deceased have been identified as Santosh Kumar (29), Veeru Kumar (36), and Suraj Kumar (29). The injured—Sanjeev Kumar, Kishan Kumar, and Sakinder Kumar—were rushed to a local private hospital. Authorities have confirmed that their condition is now stable. All the men were natives of Mujaffarabad in Bihar and worked as labourers for tile companies in Shamshabad.
Legal Action and Driver's Arrest
Following a complaint, the police have registered a case against the van driver, identified as Saleem. He has been taken into custody and will be served a legal notice. The driver faces charges under sections 106(1) for causing death by negligence and 125(a) for causing hurt by an act endangering life under the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Preliminary investigation suggests that high speed was a major contributing factor in the crash.
This tragic event underscores the ongoing safety risks for migrant workers, who often undertake long journeys in overcrowded or unsafe vehicles for work. It raises serious questions about transportation protocols for labourers and the enforcement of road safety regulations for commercial vehicles.
