Truck, rickshaw collision in southern India kills 16 people

By: 9 years ago

Indian rickshaw pullers rest under the shade of a tree on a hot summer day in Hyderabad, India, Wednesday, April 20, 2016. Weeks of sweltering temperatures have caused more than 160 deaths in southern and eastern India, officials said Tuesday, warning that any relief from monsoon rains was still likely weeks away. Most of the heat-wave victims were laborers and farmers in the states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, though temperatures elsewhere in India have also hit 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit).(AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

An overcrowded Indian rickshaw, similar to those in the picture, collided with a truck in Telangana state, killing 16 people, including 8 from one family. AP

HYDERABAD, India — A truck and an overcrowded motorized rickshaw collided in southern India, killing 16 people, half of them from a single family, police said Sunday.

All the victims came from the rickshaw and were on their way to a temple in Adilabad district of Telangana state on Saturday night. The area is 270 kilometers (170 miles) northeast of Hyderabad, the state capital, said police officer A. Ramulu.

Another three people were hospitalized. The dead included eight members of a family and were mostly brick kiln workers.

Road accidents are common in India, due mainly to reckless driving, vehicle overcrowding, badly maintained roads and aged vehicles. About 240,000 people die on the road every year.