A 14-year-old girl was killed while five others were feared washed away after an autorickshaw fell into a stream in Andhra Pradesh's Nellore district.

The incident occurred on Thursday night near Sangam when the three-wheeler fell into Beeraperu stream after it was hit by a truck coming from the opposite direction on the bridge across the stream.

The autorickshaw was carrying 12 persons, all belonging to a family and were on their way to a temple for a night halt. While four swam to safety, three others were rescued by the local people. Nagavali (14), one of those rescued, later succumbed at a hospital.

Drowned

District Superintendent of Police Vijaya Rao said rescue workers resumed search for five missing persons on Friday morning. Personnel from the Coast Guard and expert divers were taking part in the rescue operation.

The autorickshaw was pulled out of the stream with the help of a crane. The mishap took place around 9.30 p.m. when the three-wheeler which was crossing the bridge over the stream, was hit by a truck travelling in the opposite direction.

Streams and rivers in the district have been in spate since the cyclone in November, when the district experienced heavy rain.