Rajamundry: A marriage party’s seven members died in a road accident and eight others suffered with serious injuries on Friday early hours, when the marriage party travelling van over turned at the Ghat road leading to the temple of Sri Venkateshwara Swamy.

The accident happened at Thantikonda village in Gokavaram mandal of East Godavari district. The van fell ten feet down on the pedestrian steps of the temple. The eight persons who received serious injuries were admitted to different hospitals in Rajamundry and Kakinada.

The accident happened when the van was coming down hill from the temple after the marriage ceremony at about 2.30 am on Friday. The 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 Thakurpalem villages.