At least four Bhavani devotees die after speeding vehicle hits them near Kathipudi

At least four Bhavani devotees were killed on 22 October when a speeding vehicle ran into a group of them on the highway near Kathipudi in Kakinada district, Andhra Pradesh. Another devotee was injured.

The group, from Vizianagaram district, was travelling by bus to the Kanaka Durga temple in Vijayawada, the police said. The bus developed a technical fault and stopped, and the devotees got down and began walking towards a nearby tea stall. It was then that the vehicle struck them, the police said.

The Kakinada District Collector said the vehicle hit the devotees from behind soon after they had left the bus. The police said three of the devotees died at the spot and a fourth died later while being treated. The injured devotee was shifted to a local hospital, and the bodies were sent to a government hospital for post-mortem examination.

Official response

Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan expressed grief over the deaths and spoke to the District Collector by phone. He directed that a thorough investigation be conducted and that the injured person receive the best possible medical treatment. He also assured the families of the deceased that the coalition government would extend all possible support to them.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu also condoled the deaths and asked officials to make sure the injured received the best treatment.

The police have not said who was driving the vehicle or what the exact cause of the crash was, and the investigation is continuing.

Why the toll is stated as “at least four”

Most accounts of the Kathipudi accident give the number of dead as four, while a few mention five. Until police or district officials give a consolidated count for the Kathipudi accident, the figure of at least four is the one that can be stated with confidence.

Bhavani Deeksha season

Devotees who take the Bhavani Deeksha travel to Vijayawada around the Dasara season to complete their vow at the Kanaka Durga temple on Indrakeeladri, many of them in groups by road.