Death toll rises to 20 in Telangana bus-truck collision

Hyderabad: Twenty people were killed and several others injured in a collision between an RTC bus and a truck in Telangana’s Rangareddy district on Monday.

The accident occurred around 6.30 a.m. on the Hyderabad-Bijapur highway near Mirzaguda in Chevella mandal, about 60 km from Hyderabad.

The bus, which was moving to Hyderabad from Tandur, was hit by a concrete-laden tipper truck coming from the opposite direction.

According to eyewitnesses, passengers sitting in the first six rows were crushed and buried under the gravel as the tipper lorry pierced through the bus. The entire gravel load fell in the bus, adding to the intensity of the crash.

Eighteen passengers of the bus, including 10 women, died in the collision. The deceased include drivers of both the bus and the truck. A 10-month-old baby and her mother were among those dead.

There were about 70 passengers aboard the bus, which belonged to the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC).

Several passengers were injured, and they were shifted to the government hospital at Chevella, where the condition of three of them is stated to be critical.

Heart-wrenching scenes were witnessed as several injured people trapped in the rubble were crying for help.

Police and other rescue personnel had a tough time pulling out the injured. Three JCBs were pressed into service to cut through the bus to retrieve the bodies and rescue the injured.

One of the survivors said the bus started from Tandu at 5 a.m. and was full to its capacity by the time it reached Vikarabad. Several passengers were standing.

The survivor said a speeding tipper truck coming from the opposite direction rammed into the bus. The driver and the passengers sitting in six rows behind him were crushed to death.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has expressed grief over the road accident. He directed the officials to immediately reach the accident site and undertake relief measures.

The Chief Minister also asked officials to keep him informed of the situation and provide updates on the details of the accident from time to time.

The Chief Minister directed the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to ensure that all those injured in the bus accident are immediately shifted to Hyderabad and provided with the best possible medical treatment.

He also instructed the Ministers available nearby to rush to the accident site without delay. The Chief Minister further directed the District Collector to intensify the rescue and relief operations and to take all necessary measures to ensure effective assistance.

Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar ordered officials to launch relief measures and provide the best possible medical care to the injured.

This is the second major road accident in the Telugu states in less than 10 days.

Twenty people were burnt to death when a private bus caught fire after running over a motorbike near Kurnool town of Andhra Pradesh on October 24. The bus belonging to a private tour operator was on its way to Bengaluru from Hyderabad

IANS