Seven dead, 10 injured as tractor falls into canal in Guntur

 Vijayawada: In a tragic accident, seven women were killed and 10 others sustained injuries when the tractor in which they were travelling fell into an irrigation canal at Lingayapalem village of Vatticherukuru mandal in Guntur district on Monday.

According to Vatticherukuru police nearly 30 women from Kondepadu village of Prathipadu mandal in Guntur district started from their village on a tractor at about 12.30 pm to attend a family function at Jupudi village of Ponnur mandal in Guntur district. However, by the time they reached Lingayapalem village at about 1.30, the driver lost control of the vehicle as the steering was reportedly stuck up and veered off from the road and fell into a roadside irrigation canal and overturned, trapping all its occupants under it.

 Six women were killed on the spot while another died on the way to the hospital. Ten women who sustained injuries were admitted to the government hospital in Guntur for treatment. Police booked a case and took the driver into custody for questioning.