Ongole, AP, July 11 :In a ghastly road accident, seven persons of a marriage party were killed and 12 others injured when an Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) bus in which they were travelling plunged into the Nagarjuna Sagar canal after crashing the railing near Darshi town in Prakasam district after midnight on Monday.Police said a person named Siraj Mohammad hired an Indra bus of RTC to go to Kakinada from Podili to attend a marriage reception.Siraj Mohammad performed his daughter’s marriage in Podili on Sunday and they were going to the bridegroom’s house in Kakinada for a reception to be held on Tuesday.The marriage joy turned to be tragic with the accident.As many as 40 people were travelling in the bus when the accident took place. The bride and bridegroom left for Kakinada in a car, relatives said.The deceased were identified as Abdul Aziz (65), Abdul Hani (60), Sheikh Rameez (48), Mulla Noorzan (58), Mulla Jani Begum (65), Sheikh Shabeena (35), and Sheikh Heema (7).Casualties could have been more if the water level in the NS canal was high, officials said.The bus was pulled out of the canal and the bodies were extricated from the ill-fated bus.The bus driver was drowsy at the steering wheel resulting in the bus veering off the road and plunged into the canal, officials added.The injured were admitted to the RIMS hospital in Ongole. Poignant scenes were witnessed at the site of the accident and at the hospital with wailing kin and relatives of the deceased.Top officials including Prakasam District Collector AS Dinesh Kumar, Superintendent of Police Malika Garg and Zilla Parishad Chairman B Venkayamma were among those who visited the scene of mishap and consoled the bereaved families.Andhra Pradesh Governor Justice S Abdul Nazeer expressed anguish and profound grief over the bus accident near Darsi town in Prakasam district in which seven persons were killed and several others injured.The Governor offered his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members and wished for the early recovery of the injured persons.Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy also expressed shock and grief over the death of seven persons of a marriage party.The Chief Minister directed the district officials to provide the best medical treatment to the injured and extend all required help to the victims.BJP state president D Purandeswari also expressed shock and grief over the ghastly road accident and conveyed her sympathies to the bereaved families.(UNI)