At least six people, including five women, were killed while several got injured when a private travel bus rammed into a stationary container truck from behind in Telangana’s Suryapet district in the early hours of Wednesday, the police said.
The accident happened near Dorakunta village on the outskirts of Kodad mandal on Hyderabad-Vijayawada national highway (NH-65).
The private bus was carrying 42 passengers and was travelling from Hyderabad towards Vijayawada and Eluru, when it crashed into the container truck at a high speed.
“The impact was severe, leaving six passengers dead on the spot. At least 20 passengers sustained serious injuries. Four of the injured are reportedly in critical condition, while 11 others suffered severe injuries,” a police official from Kodad said.
Local residents alerted the police after the accident who then launched rescue and relief operations.
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Emergency teams and locals helped evacuate the injured from the damaged bus and shift them to hospitals. Severely injured passengers were shifted to the Kodad Government Hospital, the police said.
{{/usCountry}}Emergency teams and locals helped evacuate the injured from the damaged bus and shift them to hospitals. Severely injured passengers were shifted to the Kodad Government Hospital, the police said.
{{/usCountry}}The accident caused disruption to traffic on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada route. A case has been registered.
Officials are examining whether the accident was caused by driver negligence, over-speeding or any other factor. The severity of the accident appears to have been caused by the bus hitting the container truck with considerable force from behind.
“The exact details of the deceased and their identity is yet to be ascertained,” the police official said.
Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock and grief over the fatal road accident in Suryapet district.
An official statement from the CMO said the chief minister directed chief secretary Sanjay Jaju to ensure that all those injured receive the best possible medical treatment and that necessary measures are taken for their care.
Relief operations remain underway.