Vijayawada: 12 pilgrims from Telangana died in an accident, a tractor travelling by the pilgrims was rammed by an oncoming truck, near Vedadri village in Jaggaiahpet mandal in Krishna district on Wednesday.

According to the Nandigama DSP Ramana Murthy the accident took place at around 1.45 pm on Wednesday. A family of 26 persons from Gopavaram village in Khammam district of Telangana took a tractor on hire basis on Tuesday evening to offer prayers at Laxmi Narashima Swamy temple at Vedadri on the banks of Krishna River. After completing the prayer and darshan the pilgrims returning to their homes, with a few minutes, the driver of a speeding truck carrying coal lost control and rammed against the tractor. Seven people killed on the spot in the incident and five others succumbed to their injures in the hospital, said DSP.

After the impact, the tractor and its trolley crashed sideways, crushing some pilgrims under the heavy vehicle. The injured were rushed to Nandigama Government hospital where three of them declared brought dead while two others passed away while receiving treatment. The truck driver fractured his legs in the accident and is being treated in the hospital, said DSP. The case is under investigation.