Amaravati, Dec 26 : Seven people were killed and five others were injured in two separate road accidents in Andhra Pradesh early Friday morning, police said.

Three people were killed and three others injured when a car in which they were travelling was hit by a private travel bus in Guntur district.

The accident occurred near Ankireddypalem under the limits of Nallapadu Police Station when the car driver stopped the vehicle by the roadside. The private travel bus rammed into the car from behind.

The deceased hailed from Suryapet district in Telangana. They have been identified as Venkaiah (70), Susheela (64) and Mahesh (28). The injured were admitted to a nearby hospital.

The victims were returning to Suryapet from Tirupati.

In another accident, four people were killed in Nandyal district. The accident occurred near Nallagatla in Allagadda mandal when a speeding car hit the divider and rammed into a private travel bus coming from the opposite direction.

The four people travelling in the car died on the spot, while two others were injured. The injured have been admitted to the government hospital in Nandyal.

The travel bus was heading to Puducherry from Hyderabad. All passengers were safe. The authorities made alternate travel arrangements for the bus passengers.

The deceased were all residents of Hyderabad. They have been identified as Gunde Rao, Sravan, Narasimha and Bunny. Sai and Siddharth were undergoing treatment in Nandyal hospital.

According to the police, they were returning to Hyderabad from Tirupati. Gunde Rao and others were running a catering service in the Nizampet area of Hyderabad.

Andhra Pradesh Transport Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy has expressed shock over the accidents. He conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families and directed officials to provide the best possible treatment to the accident.

The minister has advised motorists to follow rules and take all precautions to avoid accidents. He said the government would further strengthen the road safety awareness programme.

Minister for Agriculture K. Atchenaidu and Minister for Roads and Buildings B.C. Janardhan Reddy have also expressed grief over the accidents.

/IANS