Guntur, September 27: Eight persons of two families allegedly committed suicide in two separate incidents in Guntur district today.
Police said that the two families took the extreme step as they were not able to remit debts.
In the first incident, in the temple town of Amaravati, A Venkateswara Rao, a petty trader from the neighbouring Vijawada city, and his wife committed suicide by hanging themselves in a hotel here. But before hanging themselves, they killed their two children by giving a fatal dose of poison. All the four have been died, police added.
Venkateswara Rao and his family checked into Vysya Inn this morning and worshipped Lord Amaralingeswar Swami in the ancient temple, Amaravati. The trader who incurred hevy debts was unable to remit them, police said.
In the second incident, at Vadlamudi Palem village, an indebted small farmer V Anjayya and his wife Padma first fed pesticide to their two daughters aged 10 and 8 and then hung themselves from the ceiling in their house.
The couple died last night while the two daughters died this morning at the government hospital at Narasaraopet town,
Economic distress is the reason for their deaths, police said.
—Agencies