Driver, cleaner charred to death

TIRUPATI: A 30-year-old truck driver and his 29-year old assistant were burnt to death when two trucks collided and one broke out in flames at Molagamudi village in Renigunta mandal under the Gajulamandyam police limits. Villagers of Molagamudi were jolted awake at 5.30 am on Thursday by a deafening sound followed by fire and smoke. People rushed to the spot to find two trucks in a mangled mess, with one engulfed in flames.Fire tenders rushed to the spot and brought the flames under control. However, it was too late for the driver and cleaner of one truck, who were charred to death.The crew of the other truck were badly injured. They were taken to the SVR Ruia Hospital in Tirupati.According to Gajulamandyam sub-inspector P Balasubramanyam, the deceased were identified as driver Perbulal (30) and cleaner Mahaveer (29), both from Rajasthan. The injured were identified as Amodh Roy and Suresh of Jamshedpur in Jharkhand.Perbulal’s coal-laden truck was being driven from Chennai to Rajasthan when it collided with a truck going to Chennai from Nagalan with a suppl of iron pipes. The impact of the collision burst open the diesel tank of one truck, which caught fire. It spread quickly to the cabin, leaving no time for Perbulal and Mahaveer to escape.