Thaindian News

Hyderabad, Oct 24 (IANS) Four Indians, all hailing from Andhra Pradesh, were killed in a car collision near Detroit in the United States early Sunday. A pall of gloom has descended on their houses in the state, officials said Monday.

While three of them were software professionals, the fourth one was the father-in-law of one of the techies.

Three of the victims were from West Godavari district and one from Visakhapatnam district.

They have been identified as Satyendra Akula (30), Sumant Rajan (32), Venkatachalam Pasala (28) and his father-in-law Rajendra Prasad Jonnala (50).

According to information reaching the families, the accident took place at 4.15 a.m Sunday (local time) on the Lodge Freeway in Southfield City near Detroit.

The sports utility vehicle, in which the four were travelling, was hit by a car coming in the wrong direction. Both the vehicles burst into flames.

Southfield police are investigating to find out if alcohol was a cause of the accident.

The families of the victims were shocked to learn about the mishap. Former state minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy, a relative of one of the victims, said they were in touch with the Telugu Association of North America (TANA) to bring home the bodies of all victims.

Since Sumant’s parents are heart patients, they were not informed of his death. They were only told that he is in a serious condition.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy expressed shock and profound grief over the death of the four Telugus.

The chief minister directed the officials to get in touch with US embassy officials immediately and to help send the bodies to the respective places of Andhra Pradesh, said a statement from the chief minister’s office.

In a similar car crash in May this year four students from Andhra were killed while returning from Illinois to St Louis.

The mishap took place when another car collided with their vehicle on the highway near St. Louis in Missouri.