Fatal Highway Crash in Andhra Pradesh Leaves Three Dead as Trucks Catch Fire

Three people lost their lives after two trucks caught fire following a major collision in Andhra Pradesh's Palnadu district on Wednesday. The accident occurred on a national highway near Boyapalem, along the border of Palnadu and Guntur districts. According to police, the crash took place when a truck attempted to avoid a stationary vehicle and collided with another truck approaching from the opposite direction. The incident happened on National Highway 16 (Kolkata–Chennai National Highway). Following the collision, both trucks were engulfed in flames. The drivers of both vehicles and the cleaner of one truck became trapped inside the damaged cabins and were burned to death. Police and fire department personnel rushed to the scene and brought the blaze under control. Rescue teams recovered the charred bodies of the victims nearly five hours after the accident. Police said one truck was carrying tiles, while the other was loaded with paper. According to the preliminary investigation, a truck had come to a halt on the highway due to an earlier collision. A truck carrying tiles from Kurnool to Machilipatnam attempted to avoid hitting the stationary vehicle and struck the road divider. It then collided with an oncoming truck traveling in the opposite direction. The impact of the collision severely damaged the front portions of both vehicles, trapping the drivers and the cleaner inside. Police said sparks generated during the collision ignited a fire, which quickly spread to both trucks. A police official stated that the fire spread rapidly because one of the trucks was transporting paper. Both vehicles were completely destroyed in the blaze. The deceased have been identified as driver Mekala Ravikumar, cleaner Ramesh, and driver Dharmapati. The bodies were shifted to a nearby government hospital for post-mortem examination. The accident also caused a major traffic jam on the highway. Police deployed earthmovers and cranes to remove the damaged vehicles and restore traffic movement. A case has been registered, and police have launched an investigation into the incident.