A coal-laden truck and a lorry collided head-on at Mekalathanda village in Khammam district on Tuesday (May 12, 2026), killing the drivers of both vehicles on the spot.

The truck went up in flames soon after the crash, disrupting traffic movement on the busy Khammam-Warangal highway for nearly an hour, sources said.

The victims were identified as James, 58, a native of Pallagiri village in Andhra Pradesh’s NTR district and Prakash, 35, of Uttar Pradesh. 

The cleaner of the truck sustained serious injuries in the ghastly accident. He was admitted to a hospital in Khammam.

The local police and fire services personnel rushed to the spot.

Sources said that the firefighters had a tough time extinguishing the fire.

The Tirumalayapalem police have registered a case and are investigating.